No lang oot is a braw buikie o bairns’ nursery rhymes fae the pen o Gordon M Hay, weel kent for his version o the New Testament set furth in 2012. His new buikie is cryed ‘Doric Nursery Rhymes for Loons & Quines’ an as its name tells us, it’s wrutten in North East Scots or Doric. The wark springs oot o auld nursery rhymes in the Soothron tongue, here gaithert thegither in the Scots o the North East for ane o the first times. Amang thaim that fowk will ken is The Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe rendert as ‘The Aul Wifie Fa Bade in a Shee’, an Old Mother Hubbard set ower in Doric as ‘Aul Mither Haumry’. An the Dr Foster that gaed tae Gloucester is here gien as ‘Dr Murra gaed tae Turra’.

Gordon’s wark wis gien financial uphaud fae the Doric Buird, an alang wi the rhymes the’r a wheen o bonnie pictures bi airtist Rosemary Cunningham that graduate fae the Glesca Scuil o Airt an wirks oot the city yet. Gordon said that he wis reared on a ferm whaur fowk spak Doric but it wisna till he learnt a poyem bi Chairles Murray that he stertit tae tak an intress in the wrutten leetratur o his dialect. It cam up his humph that naebody haed really pit oot muckle anent rhymes in North East Scots sae this gart him tak the project in hauns.

The buikie “Doric Nursery Rhymes for Loons & Quines” can be coft oot sindry buik haunlars in the North East, or direct like fae Gordon Hay bi speirin at gordonmhay@outlook.com or phone (01779) 821206.

The’r a soond file o this story in Scots ablow.

The’r nae version o this story in Soothron.