Unst Boat Song, Shetland (Corrupted Norn Language)

Unst Boat Song in the Native Norn Language of Shetland (corrupted, some words incomprehensible)
The Singer is a native from Unst, John Stikle (1875-1957) recorded in 1947.


NORSE ORTHOGRAPHY:

Stærka værna vestalige
Obadeea, obadeea
Stærka værna vestalige
Obadeea menni

Stala, stoita, stanga,ræra
Hvat say du da bunshka bæra
Hvat say du da bunnska bæra
Litera mae við drengi

Signa papa våra
Obadeea, obadeea
Signa papa våra
Obadeea menni

SCOTS ORTHOGRAPHY:

1.- Starka virna vestalie,
Obadeea, obadeea.
Starka virna vestalie,
Obadeea monye

2.- Stala, stoita, stonga raer;
Oh, whit says du da bunshka baer;
Oh, whit says du da bunshka baer;
Litra mae vae, drengie.

3.- Saina papa wara,
Obadeea, obadeea.
Saina papa wara,
Obadeea monye.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Strong wind form the Wester
Trouble Trouble
Strong wind from the Wester
Trouble men

Put in order, brace up the mast and yards
oh what say you boat (Da Bunshka Bear is literally "the boat that will carry her sail")
Oh what say you boat
I'm pleased with that boys

Bless us our father
Trouble Trouble
Bless us our father
Trouble men.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION2:

Stronger wind comes from the wester
Curse the weather, curse the weather
Stronger wind comes from the wester
Curses from all us sailors!

Stow the shrouds, the yeards and sails,
The dear old ship she'll ride the gales
The dear old ship she'll ride the gales
So give her the best you can, boys

Bless the ship, almighty Father
Curse the weather, curse the weather
Bless the ship, almighty Father
Curses from all us sailors!

http://www.dks-hordaland.no/media/dokument/Unst%20Boat%20Song_20080121143547.pdf

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=1870

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Unst
• Boat
• Song
• Shetland
• Corrupted
• Norn
• Shetlandic
• Shaetlan
• Insular
• Scots
• Language

[Huldumavur]

Modern Shetlandic = 'Insular Scots' (google 'Scots language'), locally known as 'Shaetlan' or 'Shetland'.

Insular Scots differs from Mainland Scots, both by vocabulary (of Norn origin) , by pronunciation, e.g. ö/ø which has persisted since the days of Norn, as well as Norse syntax: Shetlandic: 'Whit says du?' (what do you say?)

[jensarni]

Stál, stoytta, stonga, reyra. Hvað segð dú dað báð skal bera. Hvað segð dú dað báð skal bera. Lættara meir við drengi. - Would mean in faroese; Steel, pour, mast, row. What say you that will carry the boat. What say you that will carry the boat, More lighter with boys. However the words may have some gaelic origin so I might be entirely wrong.

[pitsinokaki]

Thank you very much for uploading this. I'm very interested in languages and I've been reading about Norn for some time now (first discovered it through the ballad, King Orfeo).

[Archangelsashes]

I love it! I've been researching Norn for some time now. It's quite difficult to get literature in Germany.

[RavenofDenmark]

@ConCon75

They are working on it =)

try to search for Nynorn

[RavenofDenmark]

den kan jeg godt lide den sang ^^

tror jeg vil lære den :b

[Vikingen78]

The rest of the text is more like Faroese I think. Sometimes I can both understand spoken and written Faroese, but other times I don't get a word of it. Fascinating language though- as is Icelandic and Norn. Unfortunately Norn doesn't exist anymore.

[Vikingen78]

Hmmm, not that far from Danish. I can easily understand that. We spell it: Stærke vinde vestlige. And we use a different order, so that it is set up like this: Stærke vestlige vinde.Very interesting.

The word "obadee" is not known to me. But 'menni' is 'mænd' in Danish.

[Aeschylus]

Ótrúligur!

[ConCon75]

I hope you try to revive this interesting language.

I take it Shetlandic is a bit like Ullans? only with more norn words?