The opportunity to submit lines for this poem-letter has passed. Kathleen Jamie is currently working on the poem and plans to give us more information about the final poem very soon.
English
Kathleen Jamie, Scotland’s Makar, invites the people of Scotland to submit lines of poetry for a letter of fellowship and affinity with the people of Ukraine. Kathleen explains more about the making of this collective work in the video below:
Gaelic
Tha Kathleen Jamie, Barrabhàrd na h-Alba, a’ cur fàilte air luchd na h-Alba loidhnichean bàrdachd a chur thugainn airson litir dluth-phàirteachais is càirdeis a chur gu muinntir na h-Ucràine. Tha Kathleen a’ toirt tuilleadh mìneachadh air an obair cho-obrachail seo, anns a’ bhideo fodha:
English
Some of you may recall our ‘National Nature Poem‘, made last year.Now at this frightening moment, we’d like to make a poem-letter, from Scotland to Ukraine.
Please send me a single line of poetry. One line, no more than twelve words, beginning with either ‘We share…’ or ‘Be brave…’. You can write in English, Scots or Gaelic.
Your line could be defiant or celebratory, quiet, fearful, heartfelt, supportive. Do try to capture some real things you value in the world; grandchildren, daffodils, football, beer – whatever; people the other side of the Continent will share that with you.
Having gathered together all the single lines, I will curate, arrange and assemble the poem. The finished work will take its own spirit. Once complete, it will be translated into the languages of Ukraine.
The finished poem will be available to all on the SPL website. And we anticipate public readings too. Please consider writing a single line of poetry, anonymously, for this collective, Scotland-wide poem-letter to Ukraine.
The deadline for submissions is midnight on Sunday, March 13th.
Kathleen Jamie
We will engage with representative Ukrainian organisations in Scotland on the development and circulation of this work.
We will engage with representative Ukrainian organisations in Scotland on the development and circulation of this work.
The Scottish Government has created a website to help Scots make donations to the humanitarian appeal in a secure and effective way: https://ready.scot/humanitarian
Gaelic
Bidh cuimhne aig feadhainn agaibh air an ‘Dàn-nàdair Nàiseanta‘ againn, a rinneadh an-uiridh.A-nis, aig àm cho eagalach, bu mhath leinn litir-dàin a dhèanamh, ga cur bho Alba gun Ucràin.
Nach cuir sibh thugam loidhne a-mhàin de bhàrdachd, le ur toil. Loidhne a-mhàin, de dhusan facal air a’ char as fhaide, a’ tòiseachadh le ‘Tha sinn a’ com-pàirteachadh…’ no ‘Bithibh calma…’. Faodaidh sibh sgrìobhadh sa Ghàidhlig, Bheurla no Bheurla Ghallta.
Dh’fhaodadh an loidhne agaibh a bhith aighearach, ciùin, eagalta, cridheil, taiceil. Feuchaibh is na fìor rudan anns a bhel suim agaibh a ghlèidheadh; oghaichean, lusan a’ chrom-chinn, bàl-coise, leann – ru sam bith; bidh daoine air taobh eile na Roinn Eòrpa a’ com-pàirteachadh sin leibh.
Às dèidh dhuinn na loidhnichean fa leth a chruinneachadh, bidh mi a’ curaideachadh is a’ cumail an dàin. Bidh an obair choileanta làn den spiorad aice fhèin. Aon uair ‘s gum bi e coileanta, thèid eadar-theangachadh do chànain na h-Ucràine.
Bidh an dàn coileanta ri leughadh aig gach duine air làraich LBA agus tha sinn an dùil leughaidhean poblach a dhèanamh, cuideachd. Beachdaichibh, le ur toil, air loidhne a-mhàin a sgrìobhadh, gun urra, airson an litir-dàn co-obrachail gun Ucràin, a bhuineas do gach ceàrnaidh na h-Alba.
Bu chòir dhuibh tagraidhean a chur thugainn ro mheadhan-oidhche air Didòmhnaich, 23mh a’ Mhàirt.
Kathleen Jamie
Bidh sinn ag obair le riochdairean bhuidhnean Ucràineach ann an Alba fhad ‘s a tha sinn a’ leasachadh is a’ foillseachadh na h-obrach seo.
Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba air làrach-lìn a chruthachadh gus luchd na h-Alba a chuideachadh is tabhartasan a thoirt seachad don iomairt dhaonnachdail air dòigh dhìon is èifeachdach: https://ready.scot/humanitarian