Derrick McClure

WHIT happens whan ye owerset a sang, a tale or ony ither screid frae ae leid intil anither? Faur mair nor jist chyngin the words. Ye tak a blad frae the letter-huird o anither kintra an anither culture, an mak it your ain: in the ack o owersettin thare a gust o reivin. But for the reiverie thare an assythement: a skeilie owersettin is a tribute tae the screiver o the oreiginal bardrie, an gies a heisin tae his namelieheid forbye the owersetter’s ain.

WHILE our frein Rab Wilson enjyes his wee vacance in the States, I’m takin a backlins scance at a grann collogue in Vancouver three ouks syne. Thare nae dout, an it’s no ower suin, at scolars in ither kintras is takin mair tent nou nor ever afore o the leids, the letter-huird an the history o Scotland: I hae braw mynins o collogues on Rabbie Burns in Prague, on Sir Walter Scott in Laramie, on the screivins an the politics o Stewart times in Strasbourg an o our ain time in Warsaw; forbye a fair bourach in touns aa throu Europe an ayont whaur thochts an questions anent Scottish bardrie or the Scots leid wes setten furth an argied ower alangside speils o fremmit airts.