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Hey, Geelong, are Ye Sleeping Yet? [song by A. J. Taylor, 15 February 1853]

19 December 2022 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: This song, by A. J. Taylor, was published in The Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer (Geelong, Vic.), 15 February 1853. Much of the text is in the Scottish language.]

Hey, Geelong, are Ye Sleeping Yet?

Tune — “Johnny Cope.”

Hey, Geelong, are ye sleeping yet,
Or are ye only creepin’ yet,
Gin ye would wauk an’ I wad wait,
We’d hae a merry merry morning.

Ye’ve got a harbour snug and tight,
A climate genial, mild, and bright,
A bay sae fine, it glads my sight —
But tak a poet’s warning!

For the Argus, wi’ its leaders braw,
Will sneer at ye, baith great and sma’,
An’ play auld Hornie wi’ ye a’,
Like flees, when ye are snoring!

Throw fast aside internal jar,
Blaw to the winds that rascal, bar,
An’ syne, big ships that come sae far,
Near ye will fin’ a-mooring.

Nae mair the Yarra Cock sall craw
When hindering bar is far awa’;
He’ll be glad then to hau’d his jaw,
An’ stay his bullyraggin’.

For weel ye ken that lads sae great,
Like sharks, upo’ misfortune wait;
An’ when yer pressed by cruel fate,
Their tongues are loudest waggin’.

But still he canna’ say like you,
Tho’ backed by a’ his Yarra crew,
That frae beneath the yirth he drew
What ne’er the warld saw, man.

Whilk beats the mines o’ auld Peru,
An’ Yankee California, too,
An’ maks the Argus look sae blue,
An’ cheepin’ unco sma’, man.

Rouse up then, men — employ your mind,
And be not left a jot behind;
Let a’ your efforts be combined —
Improve this bonny toon, sirs.

Drain weel its streets, licht weel its lamps,
Discourage vagabonds and tramps,
Prepare against unwholesome damps —
Knock a’ abuses doon, sirs.

An’ then yer poet blithe will feel;
Tho’ newly come, he wishes weel —
Ye’ll ever find him true and leal,
And valiant in your cause, sirs.

Tho’ Argus be a trenchant knight,
Wi’ metal hard he’ll hae to fight,
Yin weel wha kens the wrang frae right,
An’ learned in the law, sirs.

Success, then, wait on young Geelong,
And all her busy, workin’ throng;
May gold ne’er sere her kind red heart,
Nor arrogance to her impart;
Nor what kind Providence has given
Turn to a hell what comes from heaven!

A. J. TAYLOR.
Kardinia-street, Geelong,
February 12.



Source:
The Geelong Advertiser and Intelligencer (Geelong, Vic.), 15 February 1853, p. 1 of the Supplement

Editor’s notes:
a’ = (Scottish) all (also spelt: aa, aal, aw)
See: “A’, AA, AW, A, Aal, adj., adv., all”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

an’ = (vernacular) and

Argus = in the context of Victoria: The Argus, a newspaper published in Melbourne (Vic.) from 1846 to 1957
See: “The Argus (Melbourne)”, Wikipedia

auld = (Scottish) old (also spelt: aal, aald, ald, aul’, ould, owld)
See: “AULD, AUL’, Aal, Aald, Ald, Ould, adj.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

auld Hornie = (Scottish) old Hornie, i.e. the Devil (derived from the concept of the Devil having horns on his head); old Hornie (also spelt: old Horny), Old Nick, and the Old One were nicknames for the Devil (also known as: Satan)
See: “HORNIE, adj., n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

awa’ = (Scottish) away (also spelt: awa, awaa, awo, ’wa, ’way)
See: “AWA, AWAY, AWAA, AWO, adv. and int.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

baith = (Scottish) both (also spelt: baid, bath, beath, beeth)
See: “BAITH, Baid, Bath, Beeth, Beath, pron., adj. and conj.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

bar = a sandbar, i.e. a long narrow sandbank (a ridge of sand below the surface of the water), which has been built up by the movement of currents, especially found in coastal waters or at the mouth of a river or harbour

blaw = (Scottish) blow (also spelt: blauve, blav, blyaave, blyauve, blyave) (can also mean: a blast, a gust; to take a breath, i.e. to have a rest; the direction of the wind; a puff of a smoker’s pipe; a draught or a pull of an alcoholic beverage)
1) “BLAW, Blyaave, Blyauve, Blyave, Blauve, Blav, v.1, tr. and intr.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
2) “BLAW, BLA’, BLAA, Blyave, Blyaver, n.1”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

bonny = attractive, beautiful, fair, pretty; handsome; excellent, fine, good, pleasant, pleasing; cheerful, happy, merry; frolicsome, lively; healthy-looking, plump (especially regarding a baby); a form of address for a baby or a loved one; a considerable or sizeable amount (e.g. “it costs a bonny sum”), a lot (also spelt: bonnie)

braw = (Scottish) fine, good, splendid, illustrious; good, worthy (regarding people); handsome; able-bodied, of stout or sturdy physique; considerable, large; pleasant (especially regarding weather); fine, nice, well-dressed (regarding clothing) (also spelt: bra’, braa, bragh, brah) (can also mean: brave)
See: “BRAW, Bra’, Braa, Bragh, adj. and adv.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

bullyrag = to bully, harass, intimidate, taunt, torment, or verbally abuse (especially regarding bullying by the inflicting of cruel practical jokes) (also spelt: ballarag, ballyrag)

bullyraggin’ = (vernacular) bullyragging [see: bullyrag]

canna’ = (Scottish) cannot (also spelt: canna, cannae, cannie, cannin, canny)
See: “CAN, v.1”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

cheep = (Scottish) speak softly, whisper; to make a plaintive sound; complaining, querulous; the short high-pitched cry of a small bird; shrill chirping; to make noises or sounds which are shrill, faint, and weak; to “cheep small” (cheep sma’) is to adopt a humble manner
See: “CHEEP, Cheip, v.1 and n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

cheepin’ = (vernacular) cheeping [see: cheep]

craw = (Scottish) crow; can refer to the crowing of a rooster, or to the boasting of a person or persons (the latter usage is derived from the former)
See: “CRAW, v.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

creepin’ = (vernacular) creeping

doon = (Scottish) down (also spelt: doun, duin)
See: “DOON, adv.1, prep., adj., v.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

fin’ = (vernacular) find

flee = (Scottish) flea (also spelt: flay, fle, fley, flie; the plural of “fle” is “flees”)
See: 1) “Fle, n.1”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
2) “FLAE, n.2”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

frae = (Scottish) from (also spelt: fra, fri); (archaic) fro (from; away; back, backward)
See: “FRAE, prep., conj.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

gin = (Scottish) if, whether (also spelt: gaen, gane, gehn, gen, gien, gyn)
See: “GIN, conj.2”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

glads = (archaic) gladden (to make glad; to become glad, happy, joyful, pleased); gladdens (to gladden)

hae = (Scottish) have
See: “HAE, v.1, n.1”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

hau’d = (Scottish) hold (also spelt: had, hud)
See: “Scottish Words Glossary: H from A-Z”, Scottish Words Illustrated

Hornie = [see: auld Hornie]

jar = the effect of something which is contradictory, discordant, disturbing, shocking, or unpleasant; (archaic) disagreement, discord, disharmony; dispute, dissension, quarrel; a feeling or sense of alarm or dismay
See: 1) “jar”, Wiktionary
2) “Jar, Jarr(e, n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

ken = (Scottish) know; knowledge, perception, understanding (also spelt: kain, keen, kenn, kin, kjen)
See: 1) “KEN, v., n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
2) “ken”, Wiktionary
3) “ken”, Collins

leal = (Scottish) loyal, faithful, true; honest, honourable; sincere; fair; (regarding women) chaste, pure, unsullied; genuine, real; accurate, exact, well-aimed (also spelt: leall, leel, leil, leill, lel, liel, lil)
See: “LEAL, adj., n., adv.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

licht = (Scottish) light (also spelt: lecht, licght, liecht, lycht)
See: “LICHT, adj.1, n.1, v.1”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

mair = (Scottish) more; bigger, greater; more generous, more lavish (also spelt: maer, mare, mear, mehr, mer, mere, merr)
See: “MAIR, adj., adv., n.1”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

mak = (Scottish) make (also spelt: makk)
See: “MAK, v., n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

nae = (Scottish) no, not any (also spelt: na, ne)
See: “NAE, adj.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

ne’er = (vernacular) an archaic contraction of “never”

o’ = a vernacular contraction of the word “of”

Providence = (usually capitalised) God, or benevolent care from God; care, guidance, or protection as provided by God, or as provided by coincidental circumstances or Nature

sae = (Scottish) so (also spelt: say, se)
See: 1) “SAE, adv., n.2”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
2) “sae”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

sall = (Scottish) shall (also spelt: chall, sal, sale, scal, schal, sel, sell, shal, sol)
See: 1) “Sal(l, S(c)hal(l, aux. v.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
2) “SALL, v.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language
3) “Scottish Words Glossary: S from A-Z”, Scottish Words Illustrated

sere = dried up, withered

sma’ = (Scottish) small (also spelt: smaa, smaal)
See: “SMA, adj., adv., n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

stay = stop; halt; to stop the course of something (also: to remain in a set place, situation, or state of being)

syne = (Scottish) immediately thereafter, next, then, thereupon (also spelt: sayne, sein, sen, sene, seyn, sin, sine); afterwards, at a later date, subsequently, sooner or later (also spelt: soon, syne); as a result, consequently; since, since that time, since then
See: “Syn(e, adv.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

tak = (Scottish) take (also spelt: teak, tek)
See: “TAK, v., n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

tho’ = (vernacular) though

toon = (Scottish) town, village, settlement, city (also spelt: toone, tound, toune, touin, touine, tounn, towine, townn, tun, tune) (derived from: ton, toun, tun, referring to a farm settlement)
See: “Toun, Town(e, Ton(e, n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

unco = (Scottish) unknown, unfamiliar, strange (regarding animals, people, places, and things); uncommon, unusual, odd, out of the ordinary, peculiar, strange, weird; (as an intensifier, to put emphasis on a word) extraordinary, great, large, notable, remarkable; exceedingly, extremely, to a marked degree (also spelt: onco, unca, uncae, uncih, uncka, uncoo, unka, unko)
See: “UNCO, adj., adv., n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

upo’ = (vernacular) upon

wad = (Scottish) would (also spelt: wald)
See: “WAD, v.2”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

waggin’ = (vernacular) wagging

warld = (Scottish) world (also spelt: wairld, warl, warle, warlt, waurld, woarlt, woorld, worald, worilt, worl, worlt, wurl, wurld)
See: “WARLD, n.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

wauk = (Scottish) wake, awake
See: “WAUK, adj.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

weel = (Scottish) well (also spelt: weall, weell)
See: “WEEL, adv., adj.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

whilk = (Scottish) which (also spelt: whulk)
See: “WHILK, pron., adj.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

wi’ = (Scottish) with
See: “WITH, adv.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

workin’ = (vernacular) working

wrang = (Scottish) wrong (also spelt: vrang, vrong, warang, werang)
See: “WRANG, adj., n., v.”, Dictionaries of the Scots Language

Yankee = an American person (someone from America, i.e. the United States of America), or something that is American in origin or style; in the context of the American Civil War (the War Between the States), or in the context of the US North-South divide, it refers to someone, or something, from the northern states of the USA

ye = (archaic; dialectal) you (still in use in some places, e.g. in Cornwall, Ireland, Newfoundland, and Northern England; it can used as either the singular or plural form of “you”, although the plural form is the more common usage)

ye’ll = (archaic) a contraction of “ye will”; rendered in modern times as “you’ll” (a contraction of “you will”)

yer = (vernacular) your

ye’ve = (archaic) a contraction of “ye have”; rendered in modern times as “you’ve” (a contraction of “you have”)

yirth = (Scottish) earth
See: 1) “yirth”, Collins
2) “yirth”, Wiktionary

Filed Under: poetry Tagged With: 500x500, Geelong (Vic.), Oxford comma, Scottish language, song, SourceTrove, verse with sirs, year1853

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