Div Ye Mind

[Bill Fernie]

Can anyone help me find the words to Caithness poem for aman in Canada whose mother came from Thurso. He recalls the first lines learned when he was young -

Div ye mind yon Caithness housie, wi its wee bit but and ben, a dougie sittin by a fire aside a cluckin' hen, div ye mind boy, eh, div ye mind.

I know it is a well known Caithness peome and have hear several renditions changed to suit particular contexts repeating the phrase Div Ye Mind. My school years wer ein Edinburgh so my knowledge of Caithness poetry is sketchy. If anyone can help I will let him know. Putting it on here would be great and I can transfer it into the poetry section. Date and author would also be helpful forme checking the copyright position.

[THOTKU]

Div ye mind yer Kaitness hoosie wi its wheezy but and ben,
A dowgie sleepin by e' fire, aside a clockin hen;
A dresser set wi bowlies, an a bandbox on a kist,
A cowgie fu o sooans, an' a stoolie wi' a list?
Div ye mind, boy Eh? Div ye mind?

Div' ye mind e' greasy grunter wi' his muckle flappan loogs,
An e' chuckens fechtin roond ye for e' sweelans o' e' moogs?
A slated blockie, on a bool, spread dryan in e sun,
While e duekies trail'd his heid-piece roond and roond e' byre for fun
Div ye mind, boy Eh? Div ye mind?

Div' ye mind e' Knotty Club wi its game and ragged band,
Fa's clubs wis bandaged kail-runs or anything at hand?
Noo and then a tae wis opened wi' a whistle fae e' ba',
An e' linin o' a pockad wis pit roond it wi' a straw.
Div ye mind, boy Eh? Div ye mind?

Div ye mind e' whitened lirkie wi' its mooldy, earthy scent,
An e' blinkin faces roond ye, tryan hard til look intent?
On e' blessed Bible pages, ye drew sheep and stirkies lean,
An ye cut initials in e' pew fan "Thirdly" shut his een.
Div ye mind, boy Eh? Div ye mind?

Div ye mind e' jolly schooldays fan ye trowed till play "Skyhigh"
And ye tumbled in a burnie, and skelpt aboot til dry?
Bit yir mithir spread ye on her lap an' exercised her han',
Then chicked ye in yur baba 'cause ye wisna fit till stan'
Div ye mind, boy Eh? Div ye mind?

Dive ye mind e' day ye traivelled wi yur faither in a cairt,
Far fae hoosie, kirk and burnie, in e' world til act yir pairt?
Hoo ye turned an looked an looked again, wi a prayer in yeer face,
An vowed til play e' man and bring them no disgrace?
Div ye mind, boy Eh? Div ye mind?

Taken from a book called Caithnessian Poems and Plays by John Horne. Look, I've gone all dewey eyed now.

[kenimac1]

Remember reciting that at the Festival in Thurso early 60s. God!! am I really that old!!

[girniegoe]

Beat me to it Thotku! My version is in "Over The Ord" first published in 1948 (I remember it well!) and reissued in 1994 (the one I have now). A few other good Caithness poems in there too.

A while back someone posted a request in the Births/Deaths section for music/tune to go with George Mowat's The Moors of Caithness - does anyone have any knowledge of a recorded version?

THE MOORS OF CAITHNESS
[a song by George Mowat]

It is long since I left my native land,
Where all my forebears lie,
Where the wind blows keen o'er vacant moors,
Beneath the dome of the sky.
But I shall never forget that land,
Nor the feel of the sun and the rain,
Nor the mile upon mile of heather in bloom,
Across the treeless plain.

Though time and age may make me frail,
That spell will hold me fast,
And bring me thoughts of peace and quiet
And comfort at the last.
Though my bones will lie in the city's smoke
Beside those loved by me,
My spirit will wander the Caithness moors,
Till all eternity.

[trinkie]

What John Horne forgot !

[trinkie]

What John Horne forgot !

Div ye mind yur Kaitness hoosie fan e rain wis pooran doon
An ye sat upon e table if ye didna want till droon
Fan e watter keepid risin lek e tide upon e shore
Fit wisna coman through e roof cam in ablow e door?
Div ye mind boy ? Eh div ye mind?

Div ye mind yur Kaitness hoosie fan e peits wis soakin weet
An yur e'en were nippan in yur heed till ye wis fit till greet
Fan e reek wis lek till chok ye an pit ye oot o pain
An aal e peits in Kaitness widna warm yur bones again
Div ye mind boy? E div ye mind?

Div ye mind e days in winter an e bleeters ye'd till feice
Fan ye gied till get a lod o neeps for twa-r-three houngry beyce
Fan every dutch wis lek a burn an ivry park a sea
An ivry rod about e pleice wis gutters till e knee
Div ye mind boy? e div ye mind?

Div ye mind e smell o Kaitness chist lek a gas attack
Fan e win wis off e middeen an e very peegs stood back
An chist in case e fowks inside wis missan sometheen rare
E dowg traiked through e middle o'd an brocht en in thur share
Div ye mind boy? Div ye mind?

Div ye mind e fowk in Kaitness fa took unholy glee
In spreadan nesty stories 'boot e leks o ye an me?
They could twist a hermless action till id wid disgreice a sent
An if id wisna black enough they allwiz could invent
Div ye mind boy? Div ye mind?

Div ye mind e day in Kaitness fan ye felt ye'd hed enough
An ye left e croft for iver in e wurld till do yur stuff
An ye heided bravely for e sooth through drivan win an rain
An ye swore at dreary countryside wid no see ye again
Div y mind boy? Div ye mind?

Bit spite o win an rain an muck ye canna stop awey
An many's a weary chourney hev ye hedden since at day
Ye lek till see chist wance again e pleice far ye steyed
Bit faigs ! ye ken a good thing and ye'll no come hom till bide!
Cos ye mind boy! Aye ye mind !

[THOTKU]

How about this one?

If id's news that yer getheran, try roond aboot Letheran,
An ye winna hae far til seek
But e' placey for newsan and greetan yur freends
Is choost ootside Woolies in Week.

Great fun but Ive no idea where that came from!

[trinkie]

Fan ma time comes an A retire
A'm goin back till Kaitness
Till spend e eev'neen o ma days
In blissfil peice an quatness
A'll hev a hoosie o ma owwn
A gairdeen bricht wi floorags
An ivry room a blaze o licht
Fae Altnabreac's owld boorags

another by Castlegreen

[golach]

The version I have also is by "Castlegreen
Golach

[Bill Fernie]

Many thanks folks
That's great I have passed on the message to Canada

I will transfer some of this to pages on the web site shortly to let others find them more easily.

[Rheghead]

Those poems look and sound good, but what I need now is a translation button!

[Kenn]

Thanks folks for the memories..I laughed my socks of when I first read "Div ye mind"..checked the croft roof thoroughly before retiring that night!
Loved the other offerings too...any one know if the collection of poems called "Div ye mind" is back in print?

[Canada1]

I'm writing from Canada looking for help finding one more poem given the quick success with The Caithness Housie. (I just registered)
Does anyone know the complete words to a poem that begins:

A mind lang syne I had a fricht,
My grannie sent me oot one nicht,
She says `Here's the money hud it tacht'
And dinna break yer grannie's moogie

Here's hoping . . .

[trinkie]

I have not heard that little poem before -
to my ear it sounds more Aberdeen than Caithness..

Fit d'ye think Golach?

SD

[michellem]

Great stuff folks!! Its 25 years since I left Gods country but reading these poems makes it feel as if I'm back home again Keep it up, FANTASTIC

[trinkie]

A soupcon for Michellem

BROTH on e SUNDAY

Ye may dine in gran steite off e finest o pleite
Or a bowlie may had yur drop brochan
Ye may tak sometheen licht if yur no feelan richt
Or sit at e boord till ye're soachan
Ye mebbe mak do on a skintie o stew
Or tatties an herreen for wan day
Fit ye hev through e week disna maitter a squeak
Bit id's best till be broth on e Sunday.

There's whilies A daursay , ye feel kin o warsie
An ye'd lek till try sometheen by-ornar
Weel tattie soup's good if ye feel in at mood
An' clapshot ' ll fill ivry coarner.
Ye can mak a gran dish aff a chounk o hard fish
Or e rabbad ye catched in e cundy
Bit id's sorrow and grief if there's no boilin beef
An ye cann hae broth on e Sunday

Let the Sooth shither blost o thur grills an thur roast
They dinna ken better - poor craiters
But till fowk wi good taste, fa hev naitheen till waste
A pleite o thick broth's aal at maitters
An dinna get attry if hids thin an wattry
Hid's thicker hid gets by Monday
So straichten yur back sir, an hev a richt raxer
There's notheen lek broth on e Sunday

more verses I think ?

another by Castlegreen

[katarina]

anyone got the words of 'ee scorry'?

[michellem]

Absolutely fantastic! Sittin here wi eh broadest grin on ma face in a long long time! Thankyou

[Drutt]

Anyone able to post the words for "e midge"?

[Bill Fernie]

One poem about the Caithness Midgie can be found at
http://www.caithness.org/community/a...esspoets/anon/

There are other poems and I suspect this one may not be the one you are thinking about.