Go and take a look at the new Sporran Nation website, with fantastic designs by Highland based artist Jennifer Cantwell.
The website address is www.sporran-nation.co.uk
Go to the Sporran Nationals area of the site, and look for a strange looking man in front of Maes Howe in Orkney. Look familiar?
Caa’in whaals in Whiteness Voe
1900
Wird passes lik da wind aroond da voe:
a scöl o whaals spied affa Binna Ness.
dey cut da sea as watter owre baas,
oob der warnin cries ta een anidder.
Sae mony men awa ta herrin driftin,
eicht sixerns is aa at can be manned.
Haands grab at looderhorns, forks, tullys,
aald harpoons, an lokks o peerie stons.
Dey aese der oars at Grut Wick, line up
da gless, watch fur da whaals as dey roond
bi Usta Ness. I da boats, men row
as if da very mellishon wis shastin dem,
caa da scöl roond inta Whiteness Voe.
Fur sic a callyshang o baetin, shoutin,
blaa’in on da horn. Da shaste is furious.
da grit baests möv inta da waitin crö
as lambs wid tae a uncan slaughter,
bummel bi Kirk Skerry, awaar o shaalds;
loss der bearins roond bi Nesbister,
sense danger, try ta turn aboot, but oars
an oars is aawye; da sea is bulderin wi
der splore, der splunder. At Mousa Ness
anidder boat joins in ta head dem aff
an drive dem on der wye ta Hoove.
Hit taks aa day afore da whaals is beached.
Boys rin fae scöl, barefit, blöd-spring,
gawp at da sicht o sic a slaughterin.
Dey jimp fae ee carcass tae da neist,
lik jimpin fae boat ta boat; winder at
da hidmost pechs, da sad een o da baests.
Aa nicht da fleynshin lests, da hövin
o da carcasses fornenst a flowin tide.
Weemen come, cotts white fornenst
a blöd-red sea. I der kishies dey bring
brönnies, kirn mylk, saaft scones an tae.
For sicna job. But, come Newer Day,
penga fur da blubber an da banes
‘ll send blöd racin fur a rant o weddins.
Uncans o dis day could mair as tize
da ice-boond Greenland whalers hame
Whiteness Voe.
Poem reproduced by kind permission of the author.
‘Parallel Worlds - Poems in Shetlandic and English’ by Christine De Luca is published by Luath Press.
Read more about her work at www.christinedeluca.co.uk
Follow the link below to obtain the book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Parallel-Worlds-Poems-Shetlandic-English/dp/1905222130/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210103520&sr=8-2
