from Seeker, Reaper
She’s a solan, she’s a tramper, she’s a sea-shaker,
she’s a hawk, she’s a hammer, she’s a big-sea-breaker,
she’s a falcon, she’s a kestrel, she’s a wide-night-seeker,
she’s a river, she’s a render, she’s a foam-spray-waker.
She’s a stieve sea-strider, she’s a storm-course-keeper,
she’s a tide-scour-bucker, she’s a quick-light-leaper,
she’s a stem-teerer, keel-teerer, seeker, finder, reaper.
She’s Cast off! Anchor up! deid anchor-weary,
she’s a chain-snubber, moorin’-strainer, restless herbour peerie.
She’s a skyline-raiser, skyline-sinker, hulldown horizon-crosser,
she’s foreland, foreland, on and on, a high-heid-tosser.
She’s a glint, she’s a glimmer, she’s a glimpse, she’s a fleeter,
she’s an overhauler, leave-astern, a hale-fleet-beater;
she’s a kyle-coulter, knot-reeler, thrang-speed-spinner,
her mood is moulded on her and the mind that made her’s in her.
She’s a wake-plough, foam-plough, spray-hammer, roarer,
she’s a wind-anvil, crest-batterer, deep-trough-soarer,
she’s a dance-step-turner, she’s a broad-wake-scorer.
she’s a sound-threider, bight-stringer, her hert runs oot afore her.
When the big long seas come on lik walls, cold-white-heided,
she doesna flinch a point for them. Straight her wake is threided.
Though they come from the world’s rim
along wi’ a livin’ gale,
she’ll gap and batter through them
and teer her chosen trail.
She’s stieve, thrawn, light, quick,
fast, wild, gay;
she’ll curtain the world wi hammered seas,
she’ll drench the stars wi spray.
They can tower atween her and the sky –
she never felt their awe;
she’ll walk them aa, thon trampin’ boat,
she’ll rise and walk them aa.
She’s a solan’s hert, a solan’s look;
she canna thole a lee.
I’ll coil her ropes and redd her nets,
and ease her through a sea.
She’s a seeker, she’s a hawk, boys.
Thon’s the boat for me.