Scottish Poetry Selection
- My First New Hat
My First New Hat
There's ae wee blink o' sunny mirth
Whiles floods this heart o'mine,
The memory o' my first new hat,
Whilk cost me sax-an'-nine;
Weel brush'd an' glossy, sleek and black,
As ony young tab cat,
Oh! prood was I to think't my ain,
My first new hat.That very nicht I brocht it hame,
I dress'd in sprucest fig;
I held mysel' as braw's the best,
An' thocht me byous big;
Syne doon to her wha own'd my heart,
I took a hurried spat,
An', wow, but she was gleg to note
My braw new hat.She gat her braws, an' aff we sped
To view the steerin' toun;
My heart tick'd bricht an' happy 'neath
The glory o' my croon;
Nor sicht nor soun' I saw or heard
But borrow'd grace frae that;
A radiant licht it cuist owre a',
My brent new hat.Oor Tib, tho' noo she's auld an' frail,
An' ye'll her ain word tak',
Was ance as braw an' trig a lass
As e'er man's heart-strings brak';
But ne'er saw I her couthie face
Look snugger or mair pat,
Than then it did that nicht I wore
My guid new hat.An'when the Sabbath day cam' roun',
Aff to the kirk I spank'd;
I aye had notions after guid,
For whilk the Lord be thank'd.
But wasted were the twa guid hours,
That there I dreamin' sat;
It bang'd the sermon a' to bits,
My bricht new hat.It's years an 'years sin' syne, an' still
At hame, or yon't the sea,
Where'er I've been, my first new hat
A moral spak to me.
An' aft at what I hear and see,
I smile, for weel I wat,
There's mair than me gang gyted ower
Their first new hat.Meaning of unusual words:
Whilk=which
sax-an'-nine=six shillings and nine pence (34.5 New Pence)
braw=splendid
byous=extraordinary
Syne=afterwards
spat=spot
gleg=lively
braws=best clothes
steerin'=lively
bricht=bright
sicht=sight
cuist=cast
brent=smooth
trig=nimble, lively
couthie=agreeable
spank'd=move quickly
aye=always
wat=know
gyted=mad, insane
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
