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George T Watt - A Vallenelle fur Lorna’s Seiventy Birday 

3rd April 2023

George T Watt, screives aa his creative wark in Scots near eneuch. Fit wey naw? Scots is ae braw Leid. I wis brocht up in Embro but left yon toun as suin as I cuid an warkit on fairms on mony airts o Scotland. The Scots I spoke sinsyne haed accents frae Moray doun tae bonnie Gallowa an so ma screivins is the same. Ma wark haes been prentit on mony magazines but maistly in Lallans, the journal o the Scots Language Society/Scots Leis Associe. I hae also haed wark in several Anthologies, Perthshire 101Whaleback City, Yarns an Wunds That Blaw Sae Sweit tae meintion ae few.

A Vallenelle fur Lorna’s Seiventy Birday 

Seiventeen or seiventy it’s aa the same, 
We streive alang thigether gie an tak, 
This auncient race, wir modren gemme. 

Like twae cuddies yokit tae the reign, 
We ploo wir furra, the yirth tae brak, 
Seiventeen or seiventy, it’s aa the same. 

Fur streen, fur the day, the morn’s hame, 
Whiles we chyave, whiles wir slack, 
This auncient race oor modren gemme. 

Nocht can douse this eternal flame, 
Strathspey or Reel we pas-de-basque, 
This auncient race, oor modren gemme. 

Like a chairtit course oer sauty fame, 
Throu storm or calm oor darg tae task, 
Seiventeen or seiventy, it’s aa the same. 

Nae glaikit sneist wull heise us tae mak blame, 
We’ll haud steady, we’ll aye be frack, 
This auncient race, oor modren gemme, 
Seiventeen or seiventy, it’s aa the same.