Northwords Now

New writing, fresh from Scotland and the wider North
Sgrìobhadh ùr à Alba agus an Àird a Tuath

editor@northwordsnow.co.uk Twitter Facebook Search

Hag of the Mill

by Rody Gorman

Hag of the mill over by,
Why would you put me astray?
Is it not shameful of you through womanly guile
To betray me and bait me?

It wasn’t me betrayed you, Sweeney,
Though you have a reputation for being gentle
But the miracles of Ronan from heaven
That left you insane among the insane.

If it were me and would that it were
That was the king of Dalaray,
It would mean a fist in the chin,
No drinking-party for you, crone.


Extract from forthcoming Sweeney: an intertonguing by Rody Gorman

Rody Gorman’s Sweeney, An Intertonguing is published this spring by Francis Boutle Publishers. The work is multilingual version of Buile Shuibhne, in English, Irish, Scottish and Manx Gaelic with lingua gadelica, phonemic pieces and round-trip translations. Pre-publication reactions to the work have been full of praise, with words such as ‘extraordinary’, ‘masterpiece’ and ‘magnificent’ used by more than one eminent commentator. Ed.

Bás Gan SagartPoem by Rody Gorman
Cuckoo!Poem by Rody Gorman
CursePoem by Rody Gorman
Dear to mePoem by Rody Gorman
Fatal ShotPoem by Rody Gorman
Hag of the MillPoem by Rody Gorman
In BattlePoem by Rody Gorman
Madman of the GlenPoem by Rody Gorman
MoylinneyPoem by Rody Gorman
My Night In KildervilaPoem by Rody Gorman
Myself and YourselfPoem by Rody Gorman
TherePoem by Rody Gorman
Young MenPoem by Rody Gorman

Northwords Now acknowledges the vital support of Creative Scotland and Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
ISSN 1750-7928 - Print Design by Gustaf Eriksson - Website by Plexus Media