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inhale my sage, mint,
basil, saint john’s wort,
sunflower and lavender

leap through my balefire
an ‘I do’

burn my gorse and hay
fields to stubble

dress me in dried herbs,
potpourri, seashells, summer flowers, and fruits.

colour me blue, green, and yellow

let me handfast to you
think on harvest to come

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breathe in mistletoe
oak, rowan, and fir.

watch massive sticky full moon
rise amber
an gold
as if honey
outa hive

yon balefires r small suns
t’ massive blaze
nar set this short neet

she as bairn
in her belly
an soon a must pass
this fertile crahn
from oak t’ holly

tek int shape
and tale
o’ other folks fires
on yon hills
as tha would pattern
stars make
int neet sky wi art clards
an scry what’s t’come

an sup elder wine
an et this bright sunflower
an dark poppy seed bread
of yon fields
grahnd thru yon stones
into fire
into r gobs
an bellies

an leet a candle
a midneet
aside this bowl
a rain watta
t’ catch moon n
wash
r face n hands
in it

 

 

******

Received English version
___

Inhale mistletoe
oak, rowan, and fir.

watch massive sticky full moon
rise in amber
and gold
as if dipped in honey
out of a hive

These balefires are small suns
to the massive blaze above
now set this short night

she is with child
and soon I must pass
this fertile crown
from oak to holly

watch the shape
and tale
of other folks fires
on the hills roundabout
to see what pattern
they make
as I look at constellations
in the clear night sky
and scry our future

and drink elder wine
and eat this
bright sunflower
and dark poppy seed bread
that came out of these fields
was millstoned
and baked
for our gobs
and bellies

and light a candle
at midnight
and place it beside this bowl
of rainwater
to catch moon’s reflection
so we can wash
our face and hands
in it.

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breathe in
summer neet
rahned balefire
as is one small sun
wi a jar a mead
in tha hands
as is ‘nother small sun

nar this mead
as a tale on its oan.

“atta war big lads seal truce
spit in a vat
mek a man
call him Moil Berry Juice
out on this spit
who could answer
owt tha asked

Moil trogs rahned world
an spouts knowledge. One day,

he visits two lads
called Screamer
an Deceiver
who kill him, pour his blood
into two vats an use
stirrer o’ inspiration
to mix his blood wi honey,
an med a mead
a meks a  poet
or scholar on thee.

Screamer an Deceiver
tell big lads
as Moil died
from his oan intelligence.”

Raise thee jars
tek a sup a this small sun
an be poets an
scholars wi tha
blood an bone.

 

 

*****

Received English

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____

Inhale
summer night
around this balefire
that is one small sun
with a jar of mead
in your hands
like another small sun.

This mead has a tale
if its own

“After War big men to seal
the truce
spit in a vat.
Out of this spit
they make a man
and name him Moil Berry Juice.
It is a man
who can answer
any question.

Moil travels the world
giving his knowledge. One day,

he visits two lads
called Screamer
and Deceiver
who kill him, pour his blood
into two vats and use
the stirrer of inspiration
to mix his blood with honey,
to make a mead.
This drink makes a  poet
or scholar of anyone
that sups it.

When questioned
by the big men
as to the whereabouts
of Moil, Screamer and Deceiver
say  Moil died
of his own intelligence.”

Raise your jars
take a drink
of this small sun
and be poets and
scholars with your
blood and bone.

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tha may ask thee sen
what happened
to Deceiver an Screamer
an this mead

well, ‘nother day
they teks giant Gilling art to sea
drahn him fo’ sport.
Gilling’s wife weep galls them
so much as she passes
under doorway
o’ their house they drop
a millstone on her.

Gilling’s son, called ‘Eavy wi Sup
learns o’ his father’s murder,
he seizes Screamer an Deceiver
at low tide, teks ’em art to a reef
soon t’ be covered by wet wash
o’ waves. Two lads say “Don’t let
us die ‘Eavy. Please don’t.”
‘Eavy wi Sup says “al let thee go
if tha gis me tha mead”

he hides mead
in a cave unna a mountain
called Throbbin’ Rock
an asks his daughter
called ‘Tha wanna scrap’
who agrees to look atta it.

****

Nar One Eye, chief of big lads,
fidgets an is not bakkards
at coming forard
in his want o’ wisdom,
is reight naffed off
wi rich mead hoarded
away unna a mountain.

He wants it fo’ himsen
an other’s as is worth it.

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One Eye disguises himsen as a refugee
farmhand an goes to farm
of ‘Eavy wi Sup’s brother, Baugi,

an finds nine servants mowing hay.
He teks art a whetstone
from unna his cloak,
offers to sharpen their scythes.

They eagerly agree and attawards
marvel how well their scythes
cut hay. They all say
“That’s finest whetstone
I’ve ever seen.
‘ow much tha want for it?”

One Eye answers “Aye, I’ll
part wi it,
but,” he warns them,
“you must pay a high price.”

He throws stone into the air
an in their scramble
keen blades an scuffle
kill each other.

 

One Eye then goes to Baugi’s door
says ” Me names Worker o’ Misfortune
an as yon nine farmhands
a yourn av sought
to so basely kill
each other over
a dispute in field
am offerin’ to do
work on all nine.”

“As reward, I’ll Av
a sip of ‘Eavy wi Sup’s mead.”

Baugi says ” I’ve no control of mead
and me bro guards it jealously,
but if tha can perform work o’ nine
men reight
I’ll help thee get some sup on it.”

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Come end o’ growin’ season,
One Eye has done work ont nine
an goes wi Baugi to see
Eavy wi Drink abaht sup o’ mead.

‘Eavy wi Drink says “Tha
offered what’s mine, Baugi
wi art a word to me.
No, he cannot av a sup.
The bleeding gall o’ ye!”

One Eye, says ‘Abaht r bargain?
“If he won’t agree to yourn
bargain wi me then
you’ve got to gi us leg up t’
get inta Tha Wanna Scrap’s cave.”
” I’m ashamed o’ ma bloody bro.
Aye, I’ll help thee. It’s least…”

Baugi leads way to nearest part
o’ t’ cave.  One Eye teks an auger
from unna his cloak, hands it
to Baugi for him to drill

through t’ rock. Baugi does so,
and after much towin’ announces
“T ‘ oyle’s finished.”

One Eye blows inta t’oyle
an rock-dust blows back
inta his kite,
he  knows Baugi lies.

One Eye says “Tha should finish
what tha start.”  So giant drills agin.
Baugi proclaims ” T’oyle’s done”

One Eye blows into t’ oyle.
There’s no blowback. One Eye
says “Cheers mate.” changes
inta a snake an slithers through t’oyle.

Baugi stabs auger atta him
but One Eye meks it through
Once inside, he changes agin
inta a young man an meks his way

to where Tha Wanna Scrap  guards
mead. He wins her favour an she says

“If tha’ll sleep with us fo’ three neets
I’ll  gi ye three sips o’ us mead. ”
Atta’d third night, One Eye goes
t’ mead, which is in three vats, drinks contents on all in single sup.

He changes into an eagle,
flies off toward big lads oam
with his prize in his throat.

‘Eavy Wi Drink discovers One Eyes’  trick changes to an eagle an all an giz chase

When the big lads see boss
ont way wi ‘Eavy Wi Drink close
behind they set art several
vessels at edge o’ t’ oam.

One Eye reaches oam
afore ‘Eavy can catch him,
and ‘Eavy backs off.

As One Eye comes to t’ vessels
he throws up mead into them
like a bird to its bairns.

Few drops fall from his beak to us
here. These drops are t’ source on all
skills a bad an mediocre poets an scholars.

 

True poets and scholars
One Eye giz his mead
hissen and wi care.

And as you sup
last dregs o’ this small sun
and raise your jar
to yon honey full moon
may your dreams be stirred
by Moil’s blood of nous
the sacrifice of innocents
and guile o’ One Eye

Raise thee jars nar, a final
as tha needs a kip.
Time t’ get some
shuteye an fast on.

******

Received English version

At the finish of the growing season,
One Eye has done the work of nine farmhands
and accompanies Baugi the fieldowner to see
‘Eavy wi Drink’ Baugi’s brother about the sup of mead he was promised for doing the work.

‘Eavy wi Drink says to Baugi “You
offered what’s mine, Baugi
without a word with me.
No, he cannot have what you promised.
You have some gall coming here!”

One Eye, says to Baugi “About our bargain?
If he won’t agree to your
bargain with then
you’ve got to give us some help
get into Tha Wanna Scrap’s cave.”
” I’m ashamed of my bloody brother.
Yes I’ll help you. It’s least…”

Baugi leads the way to the nearest part
of the cave.  One Eye removes an auger
from under his cloak, and hands it
to Baugi for him to drill

through the rock. Baugi does so,
and after much drilling announces
“The holes finished.”

One Eye blows into the hole
and rock-dust blows back
into his face, and so
he knows Baugi lies.

One Eye says “You should finish
what you start.”  So Baugi drills again
until he proclaims ” The holes done”

One Eye blows into the hole.
There’s no blowback. One Eye
says “Cheers mate.” changes
into a snake and slithers through the hole.

Baugi stabs the auger after him
but One Eye makes it through.
Once inside, he changes again
into a young man an makes his way

to where Tha Wanna Scrap  guards
her mead. He wins her favour and she says

“If you will sleep with me for three nights
I’ll  give yoy three sips of my mead. ”
After the third night, One Eye goes
to the mead, which is in three vats,
and drinks the contents in one gulp.

He changes into an eagle,
flies off toward big lads home
with his prize in his throat.

‘Eavy Wi Drink discovers One Eyes’  trick changes to an eagle as well and gives chase

When the big lads see their boss
on the way with ‘Eavy Wi Drink close
behind they set out several
vessels at edge of their home.

One Eye reaches home
before ‘Eavy can catch him,
and ‘Eavy backs off.

As One Eye comes to the vessels
he throws up mead into them
like a mother bird to its chicks

A few drops fall from his beak to us
here. These drops are the source of all
the abilities of  bad an mediocre poets
and scholars.

True poets and scholars
One Eye hives his mead
himself and with care.

And as you sup
last dregs of this small sun
and raise your jar
to the honey full moon
may your dreams be stirred
by Moil’s blood of knowledge
the sacrifice of innocents
and guile of One Eye

Raise thee glass now, one
final time before we sleep
Time to close our eyes
and wander in darkness.

 

 

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