Wednesday 21 July 2010

Bairnsangs

Alloway Publishing has republished Bairnsangs, a collection of nursery rhymes in Scots, which was first published in 1955.  It was a collaboration of three Ayrshire men - Sandy MacMillan, an English teacher at Ayr Academy and Irvine Royal Academy, Thomas Limond, who became a noted Town Chamberlain of Ayr, and A L (Ross) Taylor, rector of Cumnock Academy.  Together they wrote Bairnsangs under the name of Sandy Thomas Ross. 

The following is one of the simpler and shorter rhymes:
The Wee Rid Motor
In my wee rid motor,
I can gang for miles,
Up an doon the gairden,
Through the lobby whiles.
Mony a bigger motor
Gangs tae toons afaur.
Nane can gang whaur I gang
In my wee rid caur.

There is a very useful glossary, with more than 300 words, for those who may not be familiar with all the Scots words.

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