Words Fae Hearth An' Hame Quotes

“Scots can be understood by English speakers because Scots and modern English share the same "Old English" ancestor. They developed separately but are sister languages in the same way as Danish & Norweigian, Spanish & Portuguese and Czech & Slovak, all of whom can understand one another. They are more or less mutually intelligible but still unquestionably languages in their own right. As the Scottish poet, Norman McCaig (1910-1996) said, "It's as absurd to call Scots a dialect of English as it is to call English a dialect of Scots.”
― Ulster-Scots Agency, Words Fae Hearth An' Hame

“On Hearing A Man Complain
Of His Wife's Bad Temper

Sad news tae hear that man an' wife
Atween themsel's should hae sic strife;
But why lay a' the blame on Bell,
There's surely something in yoursel',
Of which, perhaps, you're not aware,
That mak's her aften flyte sae sair?
Does a' your silly actions tend
Her tounge an' temper to amend,
When ye come in, aye looking roon
Her fau'ts tae fin', ere you sit doon?
If that's the method ye pursue,
Tae hunt up fau'ts, you'd get anew
Tae mar your peace, an' kindle strife,
Had ye an angel for a wife.

James Munce (1881)”
― Ulster-Scots Agency, Words Fae Hearth An' Hame

“Ye Micht Hae Kinder Been

I wonder, John, if ye forget
The lightsome days o' youth ;
Nae frown was seen then on your face.
Your words were love and truth.
But oh ! it's sadly changed noo
Frae what I once hae seen ;
It grieves my heart indeed to say,
Ye're no what ye hae been.

My love to you is aye the same,
An' shall be to the last ;
'Mid scenes like this 'twill no' be lang
Till a' my cares are past.
And when I'm laid aneath the clod,
An' ye come hame at e'en,
Remorse may force you to confess
Ye micht hae kinder been.

'Mid a' the changing scenes o' life,
Its trials an' its care,
Without a frown I met them a'.
An' tried to tak' my share.
My object was to cheer you aye
When ye cam' hame at e'en.
But noo its hardly in my power ―
Ye micht hae kinder been.

Whate'er I thought wad gie offence
I tried aye to remove ;
To me the hardest task seemed light
When tempered doun wi' love.
Your failings frae the world were hid―
I tried them a' to screen ;
Nae wonder, noo, I often think,
Ye micht hae kinder been.

James Munce (1881)”
― Ulster-Scots Agency, Words Fae Hearth An' Hame