Ulster Scots Dialects - History and Literature - Sample Texts

Sample Texts

The three text excerpts below illustrate how the traditional written form of Ulster Scots from the 18th to early 20th century was virtually indistinguishable from contemporary written Scots from Scotland.

The Muse Dismissed (Hugh Porter 1780–1839)

Be hush'd my Muse, ye ken the morn

Begins the shearing o' the corn,

Whar knuckles monie a risk maun run,

An' monie a trophy's lost an' won,

Whar sturdy boys wi' might and main

Shall camp, till wrists an' thumbs they strain,

While pithless, pantin' wi' the heat,

They bathe their weazen'd pelts in sweat

To gain a sprig o' fading fame,

Before they taste the dear-bought cream—

But bide ye there, my pens an' papers,

For I maun up, an' to my scrapers—

Yet, min', my lass— ye maun return

This very night we cut the churn.

To M.H. (Barney Maglone 1820?–1875)

This wee thing's o' little value,

But for a' that it may be

Guid eneuch to gar you, lassie,

When you read it, think o' me.

Think o' whan we met and parted,

And o' a' we felt atween—

Whiles sae gleesome, whiles doon-hearted—

In yon cosy neuk at e'en.

Think o' when we dander't

Doon by Bangor and the sea;

How yon simmer day, we wander't

'Mang the fields o' Isle Magee.

Think o' yon day's gleefu' daffin'

(Weel I wot ye mind it still)

Whan we had sic slips and lauchin',

Spielin' daftly up Cave Hill.

Dinna let your e'en be greetin'

Lassie, whan ye think o' me,

Think upo' anither meetin',

Aiblins by a lanward sea.

From The Lammas Fair (Robert Huddleston 1814–1889)

Tae sing the day, tae sing the fair,

That birkies ca' the lammas;

In aul' Belfast, that toun sae rare,

Fu' fain wad try't a gomas.

Tae think tae please a', it were vain,

And for a country plain boy;

Therefore, tae please mysel' alane,

Thus I began my ain way,

Tae sing that day.

Ae Monday morn on Autumn's verge

To view a scene so gay,

I took my seat beside a hedge,

To loiter by the way.

Lost Phoebus frae the clouds o' night,

Ance mair did show his face—

Ance mair the Emerald Isle got light,

Wi' beauty, joy, an' grace;

Fu' nice that day.

21st century Ulster Scots shows little adherence to the previous literary tradition and instead an increasing use of somewhat creative phonetic spellings based on perceived sound-to-letter correspondences of Standard English typical of dialect writing or a more esoteric "amalgam of traditional, surviving, revived, changed, and invented features".

From Yer guide tae the cheenge-ower (digitaluk 2012)

Dae A need a new aerial?

Gin ye hae guid analogue reception the nou, ye'r like no tae need tae replace yer ruiftap or set-tap aerial for the cheenge-ower – thare nae sic thing as a 'deegital aerial'. But gin ye hae ill analogue reception the nou, ye’ll mebbe need tae replace it.

Find oot by gaun til the aerial-pruifer on Teletext page 284. Anither wey is tae wait until efter the cheenge-ower for tae see if yer pictur's affect.

From Alice's Carrànts in Wunnerlan (Anne Morrison-Smyth, 2011)

The Caterpillar an Alice lukt at ither fur a quare while wi’oot taakin: finally the Caterpillar tuk the hookah oot o its mooth, an spoke tae hir in a languid, dozy voice.

“Wha ir yae?” said the Caterpillar.

This wusnae a perfu guid openin fur a yarn. Alice answer brev an baakwardly, “A—A harly know, Sir, jest at this minute—at least A know wha A wus this moarnin, but heth A hae bin changed a wheen o times since thin.”

“What dae yae mean bae that?” said the Caterpillar sternly. “Explain yersel!”

“A cannae explain maesel, A’m feert, Sir “ said Alice, “baecaas A’m naw maesel, yae see.”

“A dinnae see,” said the Caterpillar.

“A cannae mak it onie mair clear,” Alice answer, wile polite, “fur A cannae unnerstan it maesel tae stairt wi; an baein sae monie different sizes in yin dae haes turnt mae heid.”

From Hannlin Rede 2012–2013 (the Männystèr o Fairms an Kintra Fordèrin, 2012)

We hae cum guid speed wi fettlin tae brucellosis, an A'm mintin at bein haleheidit tae wun tae tha stannin o bein redd o brucellosis aathegither. Forbye, A'm leukkin tae see an ettlin in core at fettlin tae tha TB o Kye, takkin in complutherin anent a screengin ontak, tha wye we'll can pit owre an inlaik in ootlay sillert wi resydentèrs. Mair betoken, but, we'll be leukkin forbye tae uphaud an ingang airtit wi tha hannlins furtae redd ootcum disayses. An we'r fur stairtin in tae leukk bodes agane fur oor baste kenmairk gate, 'at owre tha nixt wheen o yeirs wull be tha ootcum o sillerin tae aboot £60m frae resydentèrs furtae uphaud tha hale hannlin adae wi beef an tha mïlk-hoose.