Soutar's Menagerie, Tay Street, Perth.
| introduction | life | poetry | bibliography |
Read and listen to selected poems
Aince Upon a Day
| Aince upon a day my mither said to me: Dinna cleip and dinna rype And dinna tell a lee. For gin ye cleip a craw will name ye, And gin ye rype a daw will shame ye; And a snail will heeze its hornies out And hike them round and round about Gin ye tell a lee. |
Aince upon a day, as I walkit a' my lane, I met a daw, and monie a craw, And a snail upon a stane. Up gaed the daw and didna shame me: Up gaed ilk craw and didna name me: But the wee snail heezed its hornies out And hik'd them round and round about And -- goggled at me. |
Glossary
| aince - once; | cleip - tell tales; | rype - steal; | lee - lie; | gin - if; | craw - crow; |
| daw - jackdaw; | heeze - lift; | hike - swing; | a' my lane - alone; | monie - many; | ilk - every. |
Most poems on the site have audio. Please click the play button if you want to hear a recording.