Whaur Kelpies Gallop

A villanelle in Scots by stuartcturnbull

Unknown yet, your soft, sweet, and selkie skin,
Whaur undaunted A wid seek that within,
Fair the comforting caresses I’d win.

Tae weep, my sadness by the sea A bring,
Alone, alone, ‘Ochone, ochone,’ tae sing,
Unknown yet, your soft, sweet, and selkie skin.

With wan a’ bottle, aye, with twa an aw’
A keek an unkent thing alang the shore.
Fair the comforting caresses I’d win.

Haud ma’ breath, an’ haud ma hand, whit’s in the sand?
Whaur kelpies galloped A lay doon saddened.
Unknown yet, your soft, sweet, and selkie skin.

Uisge Beatha A drink huge, a malty sea
Wud that there be someone carin’ for me
Fair the comforting caresses I’d win.

In sea-lochs whaur my hope wis abandoned
At mid-summers height, it wis you A foond.
Unknown yet, your soft, sweet, and selkie skin
Fair the comforting caresses I’d win.

Where Kelpies Gallop
English translation

Unknown yet, your soft, sweet, and selkie skin.
Where undaunted I would seek that within,
Fair the comforting caresses I’d win.

To weep, my sadness by the sea I bring,
Alone, alone, ‘Ochone, ochone’, to sing
Unknown yet, your soft, sweet, and selkie skin.

With one bottle, yes, with two as well,
I see something unknown on the shore
Fair the comforting caresses I’d win.

Hold my breath, and hold my hand, what’s in the sand.
Where kelpies gallop I lay down saddened.
Unknown yet, your soft, sweet, and selkie skin.

Whisky I drink, a huge malty sea
would that there be someone caring for me.
Fair the comforting caresses I’d win.

In sea-lochs where my hope was abandoned,
At mid-summers height, it was you I found.
Unknown yet, your soft, sweet, and selkie skin
Fair the comforting caresses I’d win.

Glossary:
Selkie - Mythic creatures who live as seals in the sea, but shed their skin to live as humans on land.
Ochone, ochone - Traditional highland lament
Kelpie - Mythic spirit creature associated with water and often take the form of a horse.

Picture: Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0