I remember a Linguist from an OU course say (in a gude Scots brogue) " It's no my accent, it's your ears". Scots in my veins, Derbyshire on my tongue, French in my heart Fabulous poème. Thank you.
I live in the Netherlands and I have not a drop Scottish blood. But I love Scotland. The 1st time I visited your country, it felt like I finally came home. When my hollyday was over and I returned to my home in the Netherlands, I had to dealed with a intens form of homesick that I never felt before and it hurted like hell. One day I think I gonna live there . . .
I was brought here by that Walter Scott programme. I gotta say after 20 years of being away living in England I had a tear in my eye listening to this, beautiful and lyrical to my ear. I sent this to my 21yo dau who is born here to 2 Scots parents, it’s important to me that she is in touch with her heritage. I will go through the whole poem with her to help her understand it. Thank you so much Len, I now look forward to catching up with yer other stuff hen.
Wonderful. My dad was Scottish. Born and raised in Bellshill and moved to the states when he was 40. So, I'm American but I miss hearing his language and accent (he died 20 years ago). I love what you're doing. And my god you're stunningly gorgeous.
Len, this is the first of your poems that I came accross by accident. I love what you're doing for the Scots language which I was brought up with as a child in Paisley. I've lost contract with my roots since living in the Highlands, so it's so refreshing to watch your Scots videos, and you're a braw lass too 😁
Following a dismissive & condescending article in The Sunday Times today (17/01/21) there's a bit of a stramash on Twitter. I think Miss PunnyPennie can expect to see an increase in her followers & subscribers! Every cloud ... ! 🙂
Saw you being interviewed by Tom Egbers on dutch television this evening and for what it's worth: everything you said made total sense. I've loved scots all my life, the people, the language, the land and what (liquid) grows off it and I hope you succeed at keeping the language alive. You can hear spanish or english (even dutch) and find yourself on any given continent. But if you hear scots and the pipes, there's only one place you can be. My favorite line in scots comes from my favorite scot, god rest his soul, Sean Connery: "What's a matter ? Can't yea talk with a gun in yer mouth ?"
Thankyou for this, it just took me back and reminded me of my mum. It's brilliant. My mum was also from Fife and called Ann Lennie, a strong Scots woman. She's gone now but you poke in her Tonge ❤️
This is absolutely beautiful. I must say that it was your detractors that made me look you up. I have now subscribed and look forward to seeing lots more. Take care, random half Scottish guy from Canada
My dearly departed Mum ( Alexandrina Scott Jack ) was an Edinburgh lass but lost her accent after moving to England aged 20. Altho when riled she would come out with some raw Scots dialect i never did understand…..and when visiting Grans flat near Abbeyhill station she would revert back to the “mother tongue” …..Len’s poetry takes me back to that turret window on the A1 bridge watching the steamers pass under as Mum and Gran conversed in this weird yet enthralling language. Long may it live on.
Miss Penny Len, Yet again, You charm us with your words. Around the world and beyond, Your poems should be heard. For me you are the best, A cut above all the rest. This bonnie lass with hair like fire, Leaves me with just one desire, To hear her poems, to hear her words, It’s her great poetry that must be heard. If Robbie Burns was alive today, I wonder what he’d say? I am sure your poems would please his ear, He’d be so proud to hear, Poems in his native tongue, Kept alive by one so young. If mi da’ was still alive, Your poems would have filled him with pride. To hear his native tongue being kept alive, The Scottish language must survive. Thank you Penny, for your poems, for me it’s no mystery, Your poems will go down in history. Like “Auld Lang Syne”, one day your poems will be sung. By those who love the Scottish tongue.
I've always loved the sound of a Scot and the Irish and I know there's a difference. Days auld lang sine ya know is a poem and to read it the way it was written is awesome. Not sure, but I'm willing to bet it's Scottish
I relate to this and I'm not even Scottish (at least not in terms of nationality). I'm from the southern U.S. and I've always been ridiculed for my accent whenever I travel elsewhere. It used to bother me, but I've since realized I shouldn't give an F what others think. Your poem captures that beautifully. Cheers!
Thank you for these gorgeous words. I got here through Stuart Paterson's page. I'm from the US, near Seattle, and a Borderer by ancestry. And I'm also a strong woman poet. I love to hear the Scots language, although I understand nae a word. I must learn it!
Love it! One of my mates mums used to go absolutely nuts when he used Scottish words as a kid. Guessing she thought for some odd reason it made them less posh, and speaking "proper English" made her feel like she looked like a better person than she really was :\
When my still 4 y/o English son started on the first day at primary school in West Kilbride, we were told in the letter to send him in with a play-piece. I nearly sent him in with a teddy!!!
Thanks for posting this. I’ve actually learned song in Scots and Scots Gaelic to perform and love to learn the English translation too. Would love to see the words written out so I can luck up translation and know a few more words and their meanings. Thank you for sharing the beautiful, feisty culture & language with us!
Love the Scots brogue! Found out not too long ago that my gggrandmother spoke Gaelic. I've tried to pronounce some of the words but, with my American Southern accent, it ain't gonna happen!
I LOVE your channel. It's fantastic. I have a video about speaking one's native language to one's children (or others' children). I'll absolutely put a link to this video on that one. I love what you do both for Scots and for poetry!
You’ve a heart of courage and a head for rhyme. My father read us Robbie Burns at the dinner table in Toledo, Ohio so the music in your wee poyum tolls deep chimes. We need more of this! Brava!
I think that you are marvelous ! And obviously you are going to continue to write more and more pertinent poems. The world will change and you will change too, but not necessarily in the same way. And so your relation to the world will change and your poetry with it. That's what happens in all the arts. You are young and have a great adventure before you. Enjoy!
You might be interested to know that the red hair gene comes from Nordic blood. The original, pure blood Celts had dark hair and usually with brown or more commonly, green or blue eyes.
From Alabama here. I will comment in my native Alabama dialect. I was gunnuh fuss at you fer not wantin' to have chillun. But now I git it. Yer talkin' semantics. So go on ahead and have yer babies. I'm sure they'll be cuter than a bug.
Braw! Scots isnae a leid? Wha says? We hae hunners o years o leeteratur, sangs, poetry, ower fower hunner years o missives and writs o law , an muckle dictionars that says it is. Mair pouer tae yer elba. Keep scrievin awa!
i got told id never move up the career ladder in my work because my accent sounds so common...im now assistant manager. keep climbing ladies no matter what they say 😘
Wow, a unique language, sort of like Southern, Arkansan, specifically. Our country and small town livin's great, and we have heard of big cities. We have grit - John Wayne, True Grit, the real thing. Our girls are Southern ladies, and they do sashay by. Like the Scottish, our neck of the woods gets little respect for its amazing dialect, and there ain't no explanation why. We tolerate Yankees, with their weird accent, and upright ways, y'all try and explain it, we'll be fishin' while you do. ( That's y'all, not you guys ).
I'm a DJ from Scotland, came here after learning that shocking travesty on twitter. Scots lass does not deserve that, is a driech time for the internet and Scots poetry.
As someone who doesn't speak Scots but is sad to see the decline of his own native Suffolk accent and dialect more power to you. The wondrous diversity of the peoples of these islands is to be celebrated not disparaged. ❤
Your poyems and language make me wish even more than I do that my Highland heritage was tought to me as a child, instead of me having to find it on my own as a grown adult. Love your work!
