Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • COVID-19
    • Re-Opening FAQ
  • Poetry
    • Poems
    • Poets
    • Our National Poet
    • Podcasts
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Poetry and Mindfulness
    • Champions 2020
    • Posters
    • Publishers
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • National Poetry Day 2019
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Exhibitions
    • Venue hire
    • List an event
  • Shop
    • National Poetry Day 2020
    • New Titles
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Pocket Poets
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Our projects
    • Jobs
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
    • Easy Fundraising
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • Douglas Young
  • >
  • For Willie Soutar, October 1943
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

For Willie Soutar, October 1943

Douglas Young

Twenty year beddit, and nou
the mort-claith.
This suld gar ilk ane grue,
sic a daith.

Was his life warth livan?
Ay, siccar it was.
He was eident, he was blye
in Scotland’s cause.

Liggan quate, his hairns were thrang
for Libertie,
his pen wove thegither sang
and musardrie.

In the time of tyrants he
testified truth,
and sae our yirth bydes aye free,
saut wi fresh youth.

Sic smeddum, kindliness, and wit,
hope and faith,
nou that his corp is by wi it,
outlive daith.


Douglas Young

from Naething Dauntit: the collected poems of Douglas Young, ed. Emma Dymock (Humming Earth, 2016)

Reproduced by permission of the Estate of Douglas Young.

Tags:

elegies illness poems about poets Scots Scots
Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

Douglas Young1913 - 1973

Douglas Young, poet and essayist, was a colourful figure of the Scottish Renaissance, a member of the young Scottish National Party, and was imprisoned for refusing conscription in 1942. He had an international reputation as a scholar of Greek.
More about Douglas Young

Newsletter

Sign up for Scottish Poetry Library\\\'s regular email newsletter.
Subscribe now

Podcasts

Our audio programme of poets, poems and news for you to listen to.
Listen Now
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2021.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
By leaves we live

The Scottish Poetry Library is staffed weekdays from 10am – 2pm and is providing a limited service including postal loans and Click & Collect. For details, click COVID-19 in the menu bar above. Dismiss