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02
THE BALLAD O' BENNACHIE
Norman A Fordyce
There's a hill in the Geery that's aye dear
to me
Noo the hill that I'm thinkin' is aal Bennachie;
It wis doon at Hillfit that I first saa the licht,
On a win'-howlin', snaa-driftin' Februar' nicht.
Tho' the hoose is noo doon, but a fit o' the waa,
The yow-tree's aye stannin', gie' in lythe fae the blaa.
An' the yalla moss rosie aye bloomin' sae fair,
Bringin' thochties is plinty, some sweet an' some sair.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen,
Aa' the glory o' fame, hine awa or at hame,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Tho' nivver a mountain, but jist wir ain heap,
Yet a look at her broo gars yer hairt miss a beat!
Soughin' back ower the aal days, aye, mony a curn,
Fan we queelt oor het taes in oor ain Gadie Burn.
Tyaavin' up by Craigshannoch on a gweed simmer day,
Took a teet I' the cave comin' soom Herthill Brae;
Pu'ed a green bourtree sooker to mak a blaa-gun;
Come the hairst we'd get roddens, syne hae pluffer fun.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen,
Far the radin-cock wings, an' the green-lintie sings.
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Noo the whaup an' the teuchat baith wheeple
their call,
Ye'll hear ony mornin' abeen Hosei's waal.
The mavie trokes his sang, sic gran' melodie,
Jist some o' the great soun'so' aal Bennachie.
Bit fye! that's nae aathing; ther's Dod Esson's Green,
The Garbet, the Bruntwid, the big Maiden's Steen.
So noo, ye maun ken, tho' sma' winner it be
Deep doon in oor hairts it is aye Bennachie!
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen;
Far the hawk maks a raid, sneakin' ower Oxen Craig
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Noo, fan I wis a littlin, an that's nae the
streen,
It wis Granma's gweed-wirds brocht the dyowe t' ma een;
Wi' her fit on the cradle at even's doon faa,
An' the showd keepin' time to the wag-at-the-waa.
She wid sing like the mavie, wi' v'ice true an' sweet,
An' 'er "Fair Maid o Fyvie" wid aye mak ye great.
But there's ane that the sang, I will mind till I dee,
An' she caa'ed it "the Ballad o' Aal Bennachie."
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen;
In the Spring or the Daa, fan ye're aa fite wi' snaa,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Noo the trump wis trailt oot, gi'en a bit o'
a prang,
For to fie her the key jist afore she began,
An' the shank an' the worsit, for the meenit laid bye;
Wi a shak o' her heid an' a soochin' bit sigh,
She wid tell ye fu' earnest ilka wird o't wis true,
For her mither hid tellt her richt-oot-o'-her-mou':
For she tyauved as a barin t' mine' aa the tune,
A liltin' bit spring, fae the past han'nit doon.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen;
Teetin' ower Meldrum Toon, on the "Drum" lookin'
doon,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Fae the Hill o' Abyne, seems, a slip o' a queyn
Cam to wallop-the-tag doon at Kirkton o' Oyne;
Wi' a kistie rale fu' an' gey neat I' the queet,
Jist the sicht o' 'ersel gied yer e'en sic a treat.
She wis coortin' the Doctor oot bye Fetternear,
A gweed-lookin' chiel wi' a fite cleekit mear.
Wi' a tryst to get mairrit in Januar' neist,
In the Aal Kirk o' Bourtie, wi' organ an' priest.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen;
If the day it be clear, fit a sicht fae New Deer,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
She cwid timmer the 'cat-gut' aheid o' the lave
Wi' "The Laird o' Drumblair," aye, an' "Hector
the Brave".
Skeely waan' tittit eident, sea true up the shift,
Dancie Skinner's quadrilles got a naitural lift
On the aal box-o'-fussles she'd finger an' thoom,
Wi' a lo'e sang sae saft or a gweed gyaan tune;
On the byoords aye the foremist, wi' ackin' an' rhyme,
Fae Dunecht ower tae Clett she wis aabody's queyn.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen.
Wi' the flooer o' the gean, or the gowd o' the breem,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Noo this lassie gid oot, at the back o' half
three,
Doon tae Logie's green wid by the aal covin-tree.
Curn floories tae pu', an' tae teet I' the seggs
At the whaup that wis wytin; tae clock on her eggs;
For April wis begun an' the pinkies wir oot
Wi' the spurgie a-biggin' her kirn i' the spoot.
Yalla yeldrin a-liltin fae mornin' tae nicht,
An' the fun-buss' a-flooerin', a richt bonnie sicht.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen;
Wi the Sinn shinin' bricht, or in meenlicht at nicht,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
She'd a wird wi' the howdie a-goin' her roon,
On a been-shakker bike she hid bocht I' the Toon;
Bit the wife hid nae thocht as she crunkit the chyne,
Twis the last she wid see o' that richt bonnie queyn!
Syne the lassie raxed up to a salla sauch-tree,
By the Ury's dark spate, hoven fu' wi'snaa bree,
Wi' a lap-fu o' wylins tae marra her I'en---
Periwinkle, spottit yarra, an' a bunnle o' breem.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen;
Far the snipe staps her kyte fan the aivrins are ripe,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Noo a gangrel cam by, wi' a warstle, for he,
Hid been ower at St. Sairs on a dram-thiggin' spree;
Coofey thocht in his mine, as he saa her leef-leen,
Syne he skirtit the girss wi' yon skowk in his e'en.
Oh, she got sic a fleg, she wis dirlt fair numb,
An' her trams they gid seggit, forfochen as weel,
She gid aifter the back, an' wis tint I' the sweel.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen,
Far the wild speelin'-bine roon the laricks entwine,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Bit the skin-barkit vratch didna niffer wi'
fate,
Stottert ower a birk-reet, tummelt into the spate,
As the Ury ran on, wi' the Don for t' jine,
Sweelin' aff wi' the caird an' the queyne fae Abyne.
Kitty-neddy last lowse as he took to the win',
Scared the Fussler himsel' wi' his yallachin' din,
An the aal craggit heron gid flappin' awa,
As the sauchs keepit soochin' an' sighin' anaa.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen,
Far the roar o' the stag keeps the doe on the tag,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
Noo, by Kirkton o' Oyne, if ye ivver win roon,
Oot tae Logie's fair wid, tak the time tae ging doon;
Oh the sauchs are aye there, an' a-booin' rale laich,
Keepin' gaird ivver true ower the watter aneth;
O the Gadie trysts Ury, bit Ury wints Don,
As the time, like the waters is aye rinnin' on.
Bit as lang as the sweel priles doon tae the sea,
Ye will aye hear the Ballad o' Aal Bennachie.
Bennachie, Bennachie, wi' the bald heid abeen,
An' the aal Mither Tap stannin' oot aa' aleen,
Aa' the glory o' fame, hine awa or at hame,
Aye the pride, an' the Croon o' the Geery.
03
GLOSSARY
1. First saa the licht - place of birth.
Bit a fit o' the wa' - one foot left of the wall.
Gie'in lythe fae the bla' - shelter from the blast.
2. Jist wir ain heap - own friendly hill.
Mony a curn - quite many.
Queelt oor het taes - cooled our feet.
Tyaavin - struggling.
Pu'ed a green bourtree sooker - boyhood ploy to make a 'pluffer'.
A shoot was cut from the Elder Tree about fourteen inches
long, from which the soft inside pitch was removed to make
a 'blow-pipe'.
Come the hairst - come harvest time the rowan berries 'roddens'
would be firm enough to blow through the pipe termed 'pluffer
fun'.
2a. Far the rodin' cock wings - referring to
the roding flight of the Wood-Cock during mating time.
3. The whaup an' the teuchat baith wheeple their
call - the curlew and the lapwing both whistle their call.
Abeen Hosie's waal - above Hosie's well.
The mavie (song thrush) trokes his sang - exchanges his song
with the rest of the birds in the dawn chorus.
Sma win'ner it be - small wonder.
4. Fan I wis a littlin' - a small child.
Nae the streen - not yesterday.
Guid wirds - prayers an hymn singing.
Brocht the dyowe to ma een - tears to my eyes.
At even's doon faa - evening down fall.
The showd - the swing.
Wat-at-the-waa - wall-clock.
5. The trump - jew's harp.
Trailt oot - searched for.
Prang - a stroke.
Shank - incomplete knitting.
Worsit - wool.
Tell't her richt-oot-'-her-mou' - the truth told straight
from the mouth.
A liltin' bit spring - a lively melody.
5a. Teetin' ower Meldrum Toon, on the Drum lookin'
doon - looking in a benignant manner over Oldmeldrum and the
Drum of Wartle.
6. Wallop-the-tag - local name for a school
teacher who would use the strap.
Kistie rale fu' - well developed bosom.
Gey neat i' the queet - shapely limbs.
Fite cleekit mear - a white female horse suffering from string-halt.
7. She cwid timmer the cat-gut aheid o' the
lave - she was an above average violin player.
Skeely wan' tittit eident - skilful use of the bow (wan'-wand)
with dexterity.
Sae true up the shift - very few of the old fiddlers would
venture from the first or learner's position on the instrument.
This young lady's performance was of a professional nature
equally at home on any position.
Naitural lift - James Scott-Skinner's compositions were rendered
with a natural interpretation giving them a special lift.
Aal' box-o'-fussles - melodeon and household organ manipulated
with foot pedals.
On the byoords aye the foremist wi' ack'in an' rhyme - on
the boards of the concert-platform with drama, prose and poetry.
Aabody's queyn - over central Aberdeenshire and beyond, she
was well known and liked.
8. Back o' half three - just after 2.30pm.
Aal covin tree - trysting spot beneath a mature Beech tree.
Teet I' the seggs - a quick look in a patch of wild yellow
irises so as not to delay the curlew too long from incubating
her clutch of eggs.
Spurgie - house sparrow.
Kirn - an untidy nest in the junction of a roan pipe.
Yalla-yeldrin - local name for the Yellow Hammer.
Fun'-buss - wild funz shrubs in full bloom. (whins)
9. She'd a wird wi' the howdie - she had a talk
with the midwife (howdie is the Doric name for this lady)
going her rounds.
Bone-shakker bike - a cycle with solid rubber tyres she had
bought in America.
Salla sauch-tree - pussy willow.
Hoven fu' wi' san' bree - the river Ury in heavy spate running
from bank to bank with the waters of melting snow running
off the higher grounds.
Marra her e'en - blue to match her eyes (Periwinkle).
9a. Staps her kyte - fills her stomach with
ripe cloudberries.
10. Gangrel - homeless mystery wanderer - warstle
- unsteady through alcoholic drink.
Ower at St. Stairs - market and horse sale near Insch.
Dram-thiggen' spree - mooching drink from the good natured
country folk attending the annual St Stairs market.
Coofey thocht in his min' - evil thoughts in his mind when
he saw the attractive girl on her own.
Skirtit the girse - ran quickly.
Skowk - evil expression.
Fleg - fright.
Dirlt - shaking with fear.
Wylins - hand picked.
Latten fa' tae the grun - dropped her flowers to the ground.
Trams gid seggat - legs sunk down.
Forfochen - lifeless.
Tint i the sweel - lost in the swift current of the Ury.
10a. Wild speelin'-bine - the Woodbine or Wild
Climbing Honeysuckle.
11. Skin-barkit - extremely dirty.
Vratch - wretch.
Stottert ower a birk-treet - tripped over a birch root.
Tummelt - fell.
Sweelin' aff - washed away.
Kitty neddy lat lowse - the Sandpiper emitted a loud piercing
scream as he took to the wind.
Caird - travelling tinker.
Queyne - girl.
Fussler - the otter.
Yallachin' din - loud alarming noise, the heron, with typical
slow wing beats had also taken flight.
12. A-booin' rale laich - bending low.
Keepin' gaird - keeping guard.
Watter aneth - waters below.
Lang as the sweel pirles doon tae the sea - the rush of the
river Don, year after year, as they swirl and flow seawards
and as long as this process continues.
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