Nae Day Sae Dark
Nae day sae dark; nae wüd sae bare;Nae grund sae stour wi' stane;
But licht comes through; a sang is there;
A glint o' grass is green.
Wha hasna thol'd his thorter'd hours
And kent, whan they were by,
The tenderness o' life that fleurs
Rock-fast in misery
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No day so dark; no wood so bare;
No ground so rough with stone;
But light comes through; a song is there;
A glint of grass is green.
Who hasn't endured his thwarted hours;
And knew when they were past;
The tenderness of life that flowers;
Rock-fast in misery
William Soutar
William Soutar (1898-1943), the author of this poem, was born in Perth, Scotland. While serving in the navy during the First World War he contracted an illness which left him paralysed, apart from his arms and hands. He was confined to bed for the last fourteen years of his life but nevertheless produced a number of lyric poems - including this.
2 comments:
Thanks for the commentary about Soutar. Quite a little story. The poem itself also made me smile - it allowed me to be thankful for living in Scotland for a few years. Without that experience, I'd never have been able to understand hardly a word of the poem!
Of course everyone would be the better for spending some time in Scotland Nicky......
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