Friday 11 May 2007

Ye huv tae keep up language wise

Liz Lochhead's 'Kids poem/Bairnsong' offers an interesting interpretation of the relationship between schooling and language. In it she suggests that the price for learning 'standard English' was losing her daily use of Scots dialect. In a way this poem is rather like Helen Dunmore's wonderful To My Nine Year Old Self which was recently brought to my attention by a collegue here at Christ the King. (Thanks Dave!) Personally, I think it would be great if Gordon Brown would deliver his first speech as Primeminister in Scots. Now that would cause a stir, wouldn't it?

Kidspoem/Bairnsang

it wis January and a gey driech day
the first day Ah went to the school
so my Mum happed me up in ma
good navy-blue napp coat wi the rid tartan hood
birled a scarf aroon ma neck
pu'ed oan ma pixie an' my pawkies
it wis that bitter
said "noo ye'll no starve"
gie'd me a wee kiss and a kid-oan skelp oan the bum
and sent me aff across the playground
tae the place a'd learn to say

it was January
and a really dismal day
the first day I went to school
so my mother wrapped me up in my
best navy-blue top coat with the red tartan hood,
twirled a scarf around my neck,
pulled on my bobble-hat and mittens
it was so bitterly cold
said now you won't freeze to death
gave me a little kiss and a pretend slap on the bottom
and sent me off across the playground
to the place I'd learn to forget to say

"it wis January and a gey dreich day
the first day Ah went to the school
So ma Mum happed me up in ma
good navy-ble nap coat wi the red tartan hood
birled a scarf aroon ma neck
pu'ed on ma pixie and ma pawkies
it wis that bitter"