These green-gowd, rid-gowd autumn lichts
cam sairsweet ower me,
the years fa doun in tummlin leaves
tae firsten times wi yi.

I left ma books, ma scrievin hame,
yi were ma ainly thocht,
we talked and looed a thru the nichts,
til daw nae slummer socht.

They warned that yi would brak ma hert,
een then I kent them richt,
I seen the gow aroun the mune,
the sheddas roun yir licht.

These green-gowd, rid-gowd autumn lichts
cam sairsweet ower me,
oor blithe times hant the frienly streets,
oor griefs the bare, black tree.

A ballad-style poem to remind us of the inspirational nature of our country and its poetry. 

The Scots language is totally right for this special wee ballad, and you would hardly guess that Maggie Rabatski usually writes her poems in Gaelic or in English, 

The poem was included in her first pamphlet Down From The Dance (New Voices Press).     

Maggie has lived in Glasgow since she went there to University from the Hebrides.  She performs with Sheila Templeton and A C Clarke as Three Poets Three Voices, and they translate each other's poems between English, Gaelic and Scots.  Maggie has recently been Makar for the Scottish Writers Federation.