Scottish Poetry Selection
- A Stey Brae
A Stey Brae
It's a stey brae we're treadin', sae lang an' sae sair
The speelin' o't's hard wi' sich burdens tae bear,
An' snell are the winds that continually blaw -
Oh! little's the sunshine and muckle's the snaw.The road my be hard and thin be yer shoon,
The keen frost may nip through yer auld worn goun;
You may be near drappin' an' at yer wits end
Tae mak' a' ends meet wi' sae little tae spend.
But dinna gie up though moist be yer broo;
There's mony a ane mair forfoughten than you.Keep yer een aff the brae, there's nae muckle there
Tae comfort a body o'er burdened wi' care.
The sun an' the rain dinna come frae the groun';
Let yer een an' yer he'rt take a flicht up abune.
Then ye winna gie up, for yer strength He'll renew,
Like mony a ane mair forfoughten than you.On the brae ye'll find mony wha's life's on the rack;
Try an' gie them a smile an' a friendly bit crack.
There's an end tae a'thing, aye een a stey brae;
But e'en when ye've speel'd it, there's plenty tae dae.
Sae dinna gie up, but just buckle to.
An' help some puir body mair forfoughten than you.Meaning of unusual words:
stey brae=steep hill
speelin'=climbing
snell=piercing
muckle=a lot
shoon-shoes
forfoughten=anxious
abune=above
crack=chat
aye=yes
speel'd=climbed
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
