Doddie Farquhar, Buchan loon, rin awa fae the ferm toun lad
Shot the craa at Peter Fair, saut sea haar an caller air mist fresh
Lowpit a train o the North East line
The clash and the clang o the Clydeside sang
A million keelies cannae be wrang! Glaswegians
Dh’fhàg Peigi Bhàn na beanntan; air falbh à Aird Ghobhar
(Peggy Bain left the mountains; away from Ardgowar)
Doon amang the hardmen wherr the sky’s shut oot wi stour dust
Dod’s taen oan in Fairfield’s, Peigi’s at the mill
Ur ye dancing? Ur ye askin? Love at first thrill.
Single end in Brigton, steamies, stanks, and stanes
Nae light in the cludgie, cats an rats an weans
Weans rakin the midgie, weans dreepin the dyke
Jeannie’s’s gaun her ba’beds, Alec’s gaun his bike
Peigi’s doon the pawnshoap, Doddie’s oot oan strike
Better days a-dawin, three apartment in a scheme
Jeannie’s went tae uni; realised her dream
MA in Celtic Studies, M Phil in Scottish Lit
Euro-funded quango for the lingo her remit.
Rescuin the Doric fae daith of a thoosan cuts
Speaking Standard English; screivan synthetic Scots writing
CVs and mission statements, steering groups galore
Bit the quine’s nae that faur yet fae Buchan lass
Chan eil fada bhuaipe Aird Ghobhar. Ardgowar is not far from her
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Colour coded dialects: Doric (North East Scots) Gaelic Glaswegian Standard English “standard” (academic) Scots)
Mary McCabe 