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Document 670

Dipper: 58 - Craws

Author(s): John Reid

Copyright holder(s): John Reid

Text

Nae mair we pyke oot sodgers' een
Whaur the deid lie gash an pale.
The battlefield was aye oor frien
Whaur craws could pick an wale.

We've tholed awhile the days o peace
Withoot gaun faur frae hame,
For man's aye been a wastrife race
An his coups can fill oor wame.

Forbye, we hae his gran new roads
Whaur the speldered deid lie blae;
Hurcheons, maukins, brocks an tods
Keep us weel fed ilk day.

Sae we can brawly bide oor time
While man gangs on ram-stam,
Hell-bent, ye'd think, on the hinmaist crime,
Tae set the warld aflame.

An gin the deidly clood suid faa
Efter the awesome blast,
I'se warran that a huidie craw
Will be there at the last.

___
gash/ghastly
wastrife/wasteful
blae/blue-grey, livid
hurcheons/hedgehogs
brocks/badgers
ram-stam/headlong, heedlessly
I'se warran/I will wager

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APA Style:

Dipper: 58 - Craws. 2025. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 30 April 2025, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=670.

MLA Style:

"Dipper: 58 - Craws." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2025. Web. 30 April 2025. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=670.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "Dipper: 58 - Craws," accessed 30 April 2025, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=670.

If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2025. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 670

Dipper: 58 - Craws

Text

Text audience

General public
Audience size 1000+

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Year of composition 1986
Word count 152
General description Anthology of prizewinning and other Scots poems, and short stories in Ayrshire Scots.

Text medium

Book
Radio
Other Audiocassette

Text publication details

Published
Publisher Luath Press
Publication year 1991
Place of publication Barr, Ayrshire
ISBN/ISSN 0946487227
Edition First
Part of larger text
Contained in The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils: Tales and Poems in Ayrshire Scots
Editor Authors: Dr. J. A. Begg and J. Reid
Page numbers 144

Text setting

Leisure/entertainment
Private/personal

Text type

Poem/song/ballad

Author

Author details

Author id 738
Forenames John
Surname Reid
Gender Male
Decade of birth 1910
Educational attainment University
Age left school 17
Upbringing/religious beliefs Protestantism
Occupation Retired Head Teacher
Place of birth Dalry
Region of birth N Ayr
Birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Lockerbie
Region of residence Dumfries and Galloway
Residence CSD dialect area Dmf
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Commmercial Traveller
Father's place of birth Dalry
Father's region of birth N Ayr
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Housewife
Mother's place of birth Beith
Mother's region of birth N Ayr
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes Home, socially
French Yes Yes Yes Yes As necessary
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes Home, socially

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