The Auld Yowe

The auld yowe lay as I gaed by,
Speldert on the saun,
She didnae rise an rin awa,
She widnae even staun.

Tentless o man an win an rain,
Fou laich on the river bank,
Frae oot her auld black grizzlt heid
Her een stared dim an blank.

Her droukit fleece ris up an doun
Wi shalla souchin braith,
An I thocht the puir forfochen beast
Wis gey near untae daith.

Syne my hert gied a lift whan I luikit back
An saw her on her feet,
- Awa ye go, ye daft auld yowe,
An hae a bite tae eat!

- But gin anither oor had passed,
My grief I scarce cuid hide,
Whan I fand the auld beast stiff an cauld,
Cowpt ower on her side.

Alane she de'ed by the watter's edge,
Founert wi June's fell rains,
An niver a blink o simmer sun
Tae warm her tired banes.

The auld yowe nou bereft o life
Lay sprauchlt on the grun,
Her edders fou o mither's milk,
Tho her mither's wark wis dune -

- For oot on the holm, twa hafflin lambs
Thegither crappt the grass,
Wi ne'er a thocht in their wee horned heids
On whit had come tae pass.

by Dr James A Begg


speldert/stretched out
laich/low
droukit/soaked
souchin/sighing
forfochen/exhausted
founert/chilled to the bone
sprauchlt/sprawled
edders/udders
hafflin/half-grown