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Coronach

Brian Holton

In Memoriam Harvey Rae Holton
Sea-bree, an auld gods snowkin throu the wuids,
Ye sang our lan an oor dreams baith thegither,
Fell slee yir sangs, at yin blink no weill taen:
Allou me ti unsteik ma mou an sing yir praises, brither.
Gala bore ye, Lagos grew ye, Fawkirk fettlt ye,
In Selkirk ye wir learnit man’s apportionment.
Dundee wis yir dwallin, Fife yir hame:
In Rathillet, the Gauldry, an Hazelton Waas wir ye kent.
For monie soundin years, yir voice rang abune the wuids,
Owre the corn o Kilmeny an the siller Tay:
Ti the auld unseein derk ye spak, chappin on silence
Ti fin the souns ye sang ti lift uis aa ti the licht o day.
An nou ye’re awa. Wi Bran an Finn McCool
Ye reinge the braes for the bull o the hielans
An aa his douce deer.  The heather yir bowster,
Rouch hills and derk wuids for yir stravaigins.
Sae fare ye weill, best-beluvit maister o the craft,
Makar o micht an bricht bard o glamourie,
A siller voice, skeillie sangs, an hie ingyne
Yir moniment ti a leamin life o musardrie.

Fare ye weill, best-beluvit brither, fare ye weill.

Brian Holton

Reproduced with permission from the author.

Tags:

21st century poems brotherhood family Scots Scots scottish poems
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man with short grey hair and glasses, wearing a red checked shirt and brown leather jacket is standing in front of a light coloured harled wall

Brian Holton

Brian Holton has published 20 books of translated poetry. He has won prizes for his own poetry in Scots and for his translations into both Scots and English.
More about Brian Holton

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