Ma Mither Tung

Peter Whitock
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Ma Mither Tung
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Awa wi aw yer high-flown speech!
Tho framed wi muckle airt,
A cannae thole its plishit soonds,
They dinnae reach the hairt;
Gie me the straicht-oot feckfu crack
Frae affectation free,
An deed it in the guid braid Scotch
Ma mither tung for me!
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An wha are they that caw it coorse,
Nor fit for cultured ear?
It's accents speak o' Freedom's micht,
An aw the hairt hauds dear;
Let aw gang wrang, an may ma hairt
Wi dule an wae be wrung,
Gin A forget or lichtly speak
O thee, ma mither tung!
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Ma mither tung - ah, yes twas hers
Wha bein gave tae me;
A'll mind her guid auld-farrant wards
Until the day A dee.
Their hamely music thrills me thro,
An maks me aince mair yung;
Nae wunder tho I lou it weel,
Ma ain - ma mither tung!
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When far awa fae Scotland's shore,
Oot ower the saut sea faem,
Her mony wanderin sons aft think
Upon their ain auld hame;
When nocht upon their weary ears
But stranger speech is flung,
They lang tae hear the kindly sough
O their ain mither tung.
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An syne its sangs - oor ain Scots sangs,
Nane may wi them compare,
For natur, an the passions aw,
Are mirrored truly there;
May mony mair, as time rows on
By Scotia's bairns be sung!
An sae like brithers mak us aw
Wha lou oor mither tung.
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Meaning of unusual words:
muckle airt=large part
thole=endure with patience, put up with
plishit=splash
straicht-oot feckfu crack=straight forward, effective talk
braid=broad
dule an wae=distress and woe
Gin=before, until
auld-farrant=old fashioned
saut sea faem=salt sea foam
syne=then, since