SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 640 Title : Dipper: 28 - O It's Cauld Abune the Blankets Author(s): Dr James A Begg Copyright holder(s): Dr James A Begg Text As ben the room my silent braiths fufft oot like railway trains, An Cranreuch's fernie feathers froze across the windae-panes, Gin deep inby the windae-sole lay driven pouthert snaw, I wis sweirt tae pairt wi snug warm claes - semmit, socks an aa! - O it's cauld abune the blankets, an gey cauld atween the sheets! Whan I chittert on the lino flair as intae bed I crept, An juist like ony ither lad in dreamless depths I slept, Wi my heid ablow the bedclaes, an my knees up tae my kist, That piggy snugglt at my feet wad shuir be sairly misst. - For it's cauld atween the blankets, an gey cauld atween the sheets! Wi a florin in the meter, the ane-bar heater glowed In my wee smaa attic bedroom heich abune Great Western Road, As yellae damp November fogs smoord oot the freenlie licht, An I courit ower the textbuiks by the fire till deid o nicht. - O it's cauld abune the blankets, an gey cauld atween the sheets! Whan founert wi a fever, streamin neb an stounin heid, I'd hap me up, an tak my bed, an wish that I were deid, Twa pullovers, three aspirin, an ne'er a drap o toddy Tae heat my banes, an brek my sweit, an sooth my gowpin body! - O it's cauld abune the blankets, an gey cauld atween the sheets! Thae cauldrife years are weel awa - nae mair the lanesome bed, They vanished in the mists o time, the day that I wis wed; I swappt my piggy for a wife! Sae saft, sae fresh, sae fair - O whit a chynge cam ower my life, a chynge ayont compare. - Tho it's cauld abune the blankets, nou it's warm atween the sheets! For whit rid-bluidit laddie cuid forsweir his lassie's chairms, As they snugglt up thegither in ane anither's airms, As 'neath the surgin billows o the bedclaes owerheid, The tide o love eternal wis rinnin strang indeed! - O it's het abune the blankets, an hetter 'tween the sheets! The seas fin caumer nou-adays, but whiles a tempest howls, An opens up a three-fuit gap atween twa sundert sowls, Wi lourin silence up abune, as back tae back they lie, First ane an then the tither, gies a wee bit souch an sigh. - O it's cauld abune the blankets - an cauld atween the sheets! Twa heids fidgin on the pillows, twa hauns ruggin at the claes, Twa feet raxin ower sideweys till there's kittlin o the taes, Twa bodies birl thegither, twa pair o airms entwine In silent hugs that say it aa - 'I'm yours, an ye are mine!' - O it's warm abune the blankets, an it's warm atween the sheets! May God grant us lang thegither - forbye a tiff or twa, Tae lou baith ane anither, afore ane's caad awa, An laes the tither aa their lane, tae dree whit auld folk dread, Lang waefu nichts a-steirin in a waukrife, lanesome bed. - Whaur it's cauld abune the blankets, an aye cauld atween the sheets! ___ fufft/puffed cranreuch/frost pouthert/powdered sundert/split apart lourin/overcast kittlin/tickling lou/love dree/endure 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: 1985 Word count: 546 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: 68-70 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