A Day Oot Wi Me Marras
Wu’ll dandor an mooch ayont yon galloway, an tyek note o thi blee sky blent wi thi hills, see thi spuggies, an thi neuks bedighted wi eglantine. Fornenst thi cree an abeun thi hemmel, wu’ll hev wor bait, an batten worsels, time wu watch wor bollen bellies graa tiv i muckle, yarkin size. Then wu’ll tyek wor pipe an blin heor time thi reek gaans oot, an set wor dowps amaang thi pittleybeds an forgit aboot this bale world. An gyep it thi cuddies, an thi gobby, donnart craas wi thor feckless cries an thi lowpin yows an dunchin coneys i thi grass.
Thi bollen born hes corved i jud i thi stenchin clarts an sleck, as it lowps, reels an blethors an cowps its creels. Thi hoppin bords are aal agabbor, playin hitchy-dabbor, an skiddadlin doon thi swally i thi soft low. But thi larks are geeson.
Yon field is chockor wi yarkin bagies, wi tetties fornenst, seun ti be howked. Thi bumlors are stottin doon thi lonnen’s dyke, powkin thor snitches i thi pittleybeds. Thi musky yarbs smell kif. Thi aad chep on thi cracket, fishin, is tyekin i deek it thi bari morts, while chowin on ees yarries, an slorpin ees broon ale. Ee’s jist catched haalf i duzzin yarkin troot, off thi belt end, but ee’s ower stingey ti gis i one. So, when aa git hyem thi neet, for mi bait, aa’ll hev ti myek de wi me stotty cyek wiv i bit o drippin, an for me pud, a bit o spotty dick.
© 2000 Raymond Reed
Glossary
| Northumbrian | Standard English |
|---|---|
| Aad | old |
| Abeun | above, beyond |
| Agabbor | making noises |
| Ayont | beyond |
| Bagies | turnips |
| Bait | a meal |
| Bale | evil |
| Batten | feed well |
| Bedighted | adorned, covered with |
| Blee | blue |
| Blent | blended |
| Blethors | talk without sense |
| Blin | to stop or stay |
| Bollen | swollen |
| Born | burn, stream |
| Broon | brown |
| Bumlors | bees |
| Chep | man |
| Chockor | full |
| Chowin | chewing |
| Clarts | mud |
| Coneys | rabbits |
| Cowps its creels | doing somersaults |
| Craas | crows |
| Cracket | small seat or stool |
| Cree | hut or shed |
| Dandor | saunter |
| Donnart | fool, foolish |
| Dowps | bottom, posterior, bum |
| Dunchin | bumping |
| Eglantine | roses |
| Feckless | annoying, stupid |
| Fornenst | opposite to |
| Galloway | horse |
| Geeson | scarce |
| Gobby | boastful |
| Gyep | gape, look at |
| Hemmel | open-fronted animal house |
| Hitchy-dabbor | hop-scotch |
| Howked | picked |
| Hyem | home |
| Jud | bend |
| Kif | good, sweet, attractive |
| Lairks | larks |
| Low | light |
| Lowpin | leaping |
| Marras | friends, mates |
| Mooch | slouch |
| Muckle | big |
| Neet | night |
| Neuks | nooks, crannies, corners |
| Off thi belt end | in succession |
| Pittleybeds | dandelions |
| Powkin | poking |
| Pud | pudding |
| Skiddadlin | running haphazardly |
| Sleck | foul-smelling clarts |
| Snitches | noses |
| Slorpin | drinking |
| Spotty Dick | suet pudding with currants |
| Spuggies | sparrows |
| Stenshin | filthy-smelling |
| Stingey | mean, stingy |
| Stottin | bouncing |
| Stotty cyek | bread made without yeast |
| Swally | a depression in the ground |
| Tetties | potatoes |
| Thi bari morts | smart lasses |
| Troot | trout |
| Tyek i deek | take a look at |
| Tyek wor pipe time thi reek gaans oot | rest a while |
| Yarbs | herbs |
| Yarkin | big (can also mean a good hiding) |
| Yarries | eggs |
| Yon | that (thing over there) |
| Yows | ewes |
| Cuddies | donkeys |