Transcript (English)

Transcript 2 Islands of the North

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Writing in Shetland

Ootadaeks

Robert Alan Jamieson

Ootadaeks is a series of five poems in Shetlandic by Robert Alan Jamieson. The series draws its inspiration from the semantics of place expressed in five words of Norse origin used in the topography of Shetland. Transcript prints two here. Read the English version of the texts, translated by the author here.

1 KÆL-JÆRD

KÆL-JÆRD: 'an enclosed area, generally to the rear of the crofthouse, used for storing field crops and growing vegetables'.

Dy æteent voar is kaald as stø-bIaan kloot
apo da briests o dem it wilfilie
dø gjinq agenst da wintir gæI;
du's adrift athoot a sæI,
as dem dat koort da storm's upstierin
most ken dir koors will mæstlæk be.

Lass, du'll turn de fit an truk de owir
da riggs fir filska; du'll mak dy varg
a klæm dat Iaas ir nivir lang
afoar dir døin wrang t'sumien;
innadæks, da merks dy mynd
wid nætril draa hjing skæv;
dy boosin's fit t'siekin aa.

Næ kæl-jærd stied sall sær de;
du winna tak de sok; da waas
du'd bigg ir boond tiderilikshin
on ert sæ røtit wi tradieshin;
apo sumiddirboadie's laand
quharivir du wid sit, dir sumeen sittin.

Quharivir du wid dell, dir sumien dellin;
ay njaagln on quhar du most set de spad;
fæ Jøltyd's eld is twirmt in Janwar's mirk,
tiII Östir roars at aa mann wirk
dan sall du fin dy æn wy furt, awa fæ hier;
fir nane'll bær de mukkil mær
Innadæks, dy teddir's tyed.

2 TRØBA

TRØBA: a small piece of land not included in the division of allotments among families in a village. Compare Old Norse troð.
Ootieköst, mak lood soonds; ootby heir ,
næ niebir lissins t'dy reksin rel an fIyt .
Gjing light an saft wi særwoarn fit .
Dir næn t'fors dy boo-bakkt flit .
Bit kiep du de dy waddir ee opin:
mebbie næ mær sistir fæmieljir waaks wi de
næ rnær, she taks dy mæt, dy plæs, dy Sundie shön
mebbie næ mær dy briddir wrassils an laaghs
dy birss up ~ bit still an aa, du's stød owir aft
afoar dir blaa, ta gjing awa an no tink lang.

Afoar du quhets dy fæmlie lot du'll raag
tree tyms ootby, tree tyms du'll drittil hæm,
hoopin ta fin sumthin du's left ahint de
or else sumeen ~ still dær ida aald hoos,
waatchin fir da prodiegil hæmmir waandrin,
t'shak an sit, twa freens, two haafs tigiddir hæl.
Bit quhan du chums, dir næn gien oot t'siek fir de,

an du fins noght t'warm dy frozint haand,
noght firby a soor wird fir niebir
apo dy shilpit tung, becaas dej lat de gjing
an nivir baad de bide. Hent du!
Dy gæt's awa, owir da stank
quhar broun ert's sib tæ green.

T'Framhoga, du'll take da ky an lag a simmer,
du'll æs da spægie idy limms, lat da voarmø pass.
Quhan herdwar's skoars itidy løf ir hæld,
du'll turn dy haand ta luv, an quhan
da nort wind haalts its oostrin brøl,
du'll kok de lug an lærn da lævrik's chön.

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