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Water-Lilies
Water-Lilies - Vagaland. A poem about nature, and about love.
Read By Greta Jacobson
The poem follows the track of the traditional year: the peats were cut in late voar (spring), set up to dry over the following weeks; taken home and built into a stack by hairst (harvest time), when the crops were also gathered in, and when deep-sea sailing men often set off to go back to sea.
Whin da laeves an buds o da water-lilies
Spread roond da loch der dark-green frill
I took my tushkar be Lungawater
An cöst a bank near Stoorbra Hill.
Da hill laek a cummelled boat wis lyin
Grown ower wi moss ida lang Jöne days,
An white apo white da water-lilies
Whin du cam dere wi me ta raise.
Da stack wis beelt an da coarn gaddered
An dan I hed ta geng awa,
Bit I tink o da lilies aft wi langer,
Noo everything is smoored in snaa.
I tink o dee be da oppen fire,
As du sits an looks at da golden glöd
Laek gold ida cups o white water-lilies
Whaar I drank sweetness afore I göd.