in their appreciation of the beauty of their landscapes as well as in coping with life’s experiences, they have much in common with the writers and characters of the Scriptures. My attempt in trying to render some of the Scriptures in dialect has been to draw that association closer and to encourage people to find and develop their own faith.
Most of the work of the book was done as part of a ‘study leave’ exercise and I appreciated having the time to reflect on passages from the Bible before writing them in dialect. The writing is in no way any kind of translation. Putting Hebrew and Greek directly into Shetland dialect doesn’t really work – the languages are worlds apart – and all you would end up with is something that would be stilted and at best difficult to read. So I have attempted to convey the sense of the passage rather than attempt any kind of accurate translation.
I also found the writing relatively easy but what was for me extremely difficult was ensuring that the spelling and vocabulary were uniform. As someone noted, my knowledge of the Bible is better than my ability with the dialect. Shetland dialect is more spoken than written and because of the different accents from the different parts of the islands getting an agreed spelling as well as vocabulary is in many cases impossible. Despite these difficulties and limitations, I hope that people find the book useful and enjoyable. I was greatly heartened when someone, who hadn’t darkened the door of the kirk in many a long year, picked up a booklet of some of the passages and refused to put it down till he had read it right through.
I am told that what I write brings some freshness to the stories and teaching of the Bible and if that is so I am ‘blyde’. Since much of our dialect is now Scottish in origin, I trust that what I have written will be accessible to and enjoyed by people beyond these island shores.
Genesis 1:1—2:3
At da very Start
At da very start da Göd Man med the heevens an da aert. Da aert hed nae shape tae it an der wis naethin in it. Hit was joost a mass o watter happit aboot i da mirk. Da speerit o da Göd Man gied aboot apo da watter.
Dan da Göd Man spak, ‘Lat wis hae licht.’ An da licht cam an he caad it day. An da Göd Man saa dat it wis göd; an da Göd Man pairtit da licht fae da mirk. Da Göd Man said dat da licht wis day, an da mirk wis nicht. An der wis da mirknen an da rivin o da dim, day wan. An da Göd Man wis plaesed.
An da Göd Man said, ‘Lat wis pit da heevens abön an da aert below, an mak a space atween dem. An da space we’ll caa da lift.’ So cam da mirknen an da rivin o da dim, da nixt day.
An da Göd Man said, ‘Lat wis pit some grund among dis watter, an da grund we’ll caa da laand, an da watter ’ll be da sea.’ An he wis plaesed wi whit he hed dön.
An da Göd Man said, ‘Lat wis hae aa menner o things dat sproot fae da grund, plants an flooers an trees, wi fruit an seed ta cast ati da aert.’ An da Göd Man saa dat it wis göd. An der wis da mirknen an da rivin o da dim, da third day.
Dan da Göd Man said, ‘Lat wis pit lichts i da lift fir nicht an day, fir da months, fir da voar an hairst, an da settin oot o time. Lat da lichts brichten up da aert – da sun be day an da mön an starns be nicht.’ So he set dem i da heevens – day an nicht, licht an mirk. An he wis plaesed wi whit he hed dön. So cam da mirknen an da rivin o da dim, da fort day.
An da Göd Man said, ‘We’ll pit fish ati da watter, an fools i da lift.’ An der wis aa kind o craetirs i da deep an aa kind o fleein things i da lift. An da Göd Man gied dem his blissins an mair an mair cam till da sea an da lift wir foo. An da Göd Man saa dat it wis göd. An der wis da mirknen an da rivin o da dim, da fifth day.
Dan da Göd Man said, ‘Noo we’ll mak baests fir da laand. Some ta herd an some ta geng wild.’ An he med aa kinds o dem. An he wis plaesed wi whit he hed dön.
Dan da Göd Man said, ‘We’ll need some-ean ta look efter aa dis. Some-ean a bit lik mysel – wi a haert an mind an carin joost lik me.’ So he med humans – men an weemin an he gied dem his blissins. He med dem so dat dey cood hae bairns, an so dat dir bairns hed bairns as weel. An he gied dem pooer ower aa dat he hed med so dat dey wid tak care o it, an enjoy it an hae healt an strent. An he wis plaesed wi whit he hed med. So cam da mirknen an da rivin o da dim, da sixth day.
Aert an da lift wir noo med an foo o livin things. An haein dön it aa i da space o six days da Göd Man took paece on da seeventh. Dis wis ta be a speecial day – a day o paece ta tak pleasure i Göd’s mak an ta mind on da wan wha hed med it aa.
Genesis 2, 3
Eden – da Boannie Place
Hit wis sic a boannie place. Der wir trees an bushes an flooers an trowe it aa wis a gentle burn. An aa aboot wis licht an colour an perfect paece. Abön wis da noise o fools singin dir haerts oot. Hit wis joost lik paradise. An der wis joost wan sowl tae enjoy it aa – a man caad Adie.
Da Göd Man towt dat Adie wid need some-ean ta share aa dis wi, so he med Eva – as boannie a lass as ivir der wis. Adie an Eva wir in love fae da start an coodna ’ve been better aff. Bit somethin nyirgit at dem, somethin dat dey coodna faddom oot. Dey hed ivirything dey needed, bit dey wanted somethin mair. Dey wanted understaandin. Dey wanted wisdim – or whit wid pass fir wisdim.
Der wis a tree dat dey wir bidden no ta touch. Somewye dey sensed dat dis wis da tree dat wid gie dem whit dey wir efter. So dey ett some o da fruit aff o it – an dat wis da beginnin and da end. Ill fan its wye inta aathing. Dir perfect paradise wis spoilt.
Da twa o dem kent dat dey hed dön wrang an dey tried ta hoid. Dat sam nicht da Göd Man cam seekin dem. ‘Whit’s come o you?’ he said.
Adie answered him, ‘We wir faerd o dee, so we tried ta hoid.’
‘You’re taen fruit aff o yon tree dat I telt you no ta touch. Your life ’ll nivir be da sam. You’ll nivir again hae paece, fir noo dat you ken richt fae wrang der’ll aye be a feyt athin you atween göd an bad.’
Genesis 6–8
Noah an da Doontöm
At da start da wirld wis a perfect place – bit it didna lest lang. Men an weemin wir joost human an shön foo o faats. Dey kent richt fae wrang, bit kennin an döin wir twa different things. Da Göd Man pat up wi it fir as lang as he cood bit der cam a time whan da hale thing joost got oot o haand. So da Göd Man towt dat he wid hae ta pit an end tae it aa an start again.
Bit
