SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 620 Title : Dipper: 08 - The Fishin Weedow Author(s): Dr James A Begg Copyright holder(s): Dr James A Begg Text Dedicated to Sporting Widows everywhere - Football, Rugby, Bowling, Curling, Darts and Snooker - not to mention Golf! In cooncil hoose an stately hame, Or sittin by some meedow, There sits a wumman aa her lane – She's caad a Fishin Weedow! Aiblins thochts rin throu her heid: Were she no there wad he miss her? An aft she sighs an rues the day She got mairrit tae a Fisher! The pairtin's lang for some dear wives; Frae mid-Mairch till September; For ithers 'tis damn-near aa their lives; Frae Januar tae November! - Wi juist a month, nae mair nor three, Tae yoke their dear sweet-herts Tae aa that wark aboot the hoose, Afore the Season sterts! But try's she micht tae get her wicht (E'en doun on bendit knees) Tae pent the room or sweep the lum: - He'd raither tie some flees! The ance they baith went doun the shops Near took awa her braith: Whit guid intent? He only went Tae buy mair fishin graith! For Fisher Wull the days staun still Frae close tae stert o season; But for his lass - sae quick they pass, She's gey near tint her reason! As Februar cauld gies wey tae Mairch, For aa her inmaist wishin, The puir-bit sowl gies wey ance mair – An laes him tae the fishin! She's left alane wi greitin wean, An things that aye gae wrang, Nae wunner gin he dawdles hame His puir wife's aye sae thrang. - 'Whaur hae ye been tae this time? Ye're ower three oors late! An whit h'ye brocht - juist as Ah thocht – - Not a bluidy haet!' Wull quails afore the stormy blast, Wishin he'd ne'er been born; But hauds his mooth, for t' tell the truth, He's gaun again the morn! Sae aff he goes despite it aa, An this time fares sae weel, That heids an tails o three-score troot Are pokin oot his creel. Fair prood is he, a sicht tae see - - Great Chieftain o the Fishin Race – Till his sullen dame gins he wins hame Shuin pits him in his richtfu place! 'Caa these troots!' the wife decries, As he tuims oot aa his winnins, 'If it wisnae for the wee rid spots Ah'd sweir they're mair like minnons! - An get them oot ma kitchen sink, Ah cannae staun the smell; An the sicht o bluid near maks me boke – - Ye can gut the beasts yersel!' Sic flytin wad drive mony a man Tae forsweir rod an purn, An niver mair tae ply his skill On river, loch an burn. But oor Wull's made o sterner stuff An deif tae aa her cries, There's no a nicht in Simmer yet He's missed the evenin rise! An mony is the back-en day, Fishin Nith doun by Dumfries, His puir-bit wife's got up at five, An tellt tae mak his piece! But tak tent, Wull, the day maun come, It's mebbe no here yet, When yer warld turns tapsalteery, An the buit's on the ither fuit! As I muse by the lowe o a winter fire, An stare at the logs a-burnin, It's nae juist on th'end o a heuk, That I see the worm a-turnin! For the Weedow's dochter nou is wed, - A different generation - Her heid stappt fou o buiks she's read On Weemin's Liberation! No for Her the late nicht meal, Cooked wi tenderness an lovin, If he's three oors late, he'll fin his plate's Been fower oors in the oven! - an the hinmaist thing her man micht dae Gin he ettlt tae stey alive, Wad be daur suggest that she get up Tae mak his piece at five! There's nae sic thing as fishin Juist the wey her faither did: He micht get oot - no whan the troot, But whan Hersel, is in the tid! He's lucky if she let's him loose Mair'n twice in fower weeks; It's weel seen in her hoose, Wha's wha that weirs the breeks! He's a dab haun wi a pent brush Efter mony hard-wrocht oors, An the grun he uised tae delve for worms Is planted nou wi flouers! Oot wi the lasses, awa at nicht-classes, She laes him baby-sittin; Whit's the uise o tyin flees - - The puir sowl's taen up knittin! Whit's mair, an deidly serious; They say it's no a lee; The jaud's juist bocht some wadin-buits, An learnt tae cast a flee! Sae fishers aa, whaure'er ye be, Turn ower a brent new leaf, An treat yer wife wi gentle care, Afore ye come tae grief. For if ye dinnae, shuir as fate, Ye'll end up washin dishes, Ilka time the burn's in spate, An The Wife's oot catchin fishes! ___ aiblins/perhaps wicht/strong man soop the lum/sweep the chimney graith/equipment tint/lost greitin wean/crying child thrang/hard-pressed haet/iota,particle creel/fishing basket minnons/minnows boke/retch flytin/scolding purn/reel piece/sandwiches tak tent/tak care tapsalteery/upside down lowe/flame stappt/stuffed tid/mood hard-wrocht/hard-worked jaud/perverse woman brent/brand spate/flood This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 1000+ Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1983 Word count: 892 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: 14-17 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 623 Title: Dr Forenames: James Initials: A Surname: Begg Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1940 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Medical Practitioner Place of birth: New Cumnock Region of birth: S Ayr Birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Ayr Region of residence: S Ayr Residence CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Clerical Officer, NCB Father's place of birth: Sandbank Father's region of birth: Argyll Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Arg Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Primary Teacher Mother's place of birth: New Cumnock Mother's region of birth: S Ayr Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: Danish Speak: No Read: No Write: No Understand: No Circumstances: A little Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially, at work Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Holidaying in France Language: Norwegian Speak: No Read: No Write: No Understand: No Circumstances: A little Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially, at work