Mass readings in Scots: Twenty-first Sunday of the Year (Year A)

First reading

Isaiah 22: 19-23

[Sae quo the Lord God o' hosts till Shebna, the gatherer o' the king's-gear:]

Frae the bit whar ye bide, I sal ding yo;

frae yer stance sae stieve, I sal thring yo;

An' in siccan a day, my ain loon I sal hae

-Eliakim, Hilkiah's son:

An' it's him I sal cleed in yer gear;

an' yer girth I sal gar him wear;

an' yer gad I sal rax till his han':

an' till  a' wha bide i' Jerusalem;

an' eke, till Judah's hail halidom;

it's faither till them he sal stan'.

An' the key o' King David's houss on his shouthir I'se lay:

an' he sal gar open, an' nane sal steek;

an' he sal gar steek, an' nane sal open.

An' I'se mak him a nail

in a sikker bit;

an' a thron for his faither's houss he sal sit.

[From Isaiah frae Hebrew intil Scottis, by P. Hately Waddell 1879 (Amazon US here; Amazon UK here)  Google books here]

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 137: 1-3, 6, 8 (resp. v.8)

O Laird, yer mercy is aye-bidin;

dinna gie up the warks o yer haunds.

A will ruise ye wi aw ma hert:

A will mak melody tae ye afore the gods.

A will wirship afore yer haly Temple,

ruisin yer name for yer mercy an' for yer uncheengin faith:

O Laird, yer mercy is aye-bidin;

dinna gie up the warks o yer haunds.

for ye hae made yer wird greater nor aw yer name.

Whan ma cry come tae yer lugs,

ye answert me 

an made me great wi strenth in ma saul.

O Laird, yer mercy is aye-bidin;

dinna gie up the warks o yer haunds.

Tho the Laird is heich, he sees thaim that's law;

an he kens frae hyne awa o thaim that's liftit up.

O Laird, yer mercy is aye-abidin;

dinna gie up the warks o yer haunds.

O Laird, yer mercy is aye-bidin;

dinna gie up the warks o yer haunds.

[From Psalm 138 in The Old Testament in Scots, vol. 3, The Books of Wisdom, [Job, Psaums, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Sang o Sangs] trans. Gavin Falconer and Ross G. Arthur (2014) (translation into Plain Scots under the auspices of the Ullans Academy) ISBN 978-1-78324-006-7. Amazon US here. Amazon UK here.]

Second reading

Romans 11: 33-36

Oh, the faddomless, boddomless walth an wísdom an knawledgeo God! Hou deep an dairk is his juidgements! Hou ill tae finnd an fallow his fit-steds!

        Wha hes e'er kent the mind o the Lord?

        Wha hes he e'er socht rede o?

        Wha hes e'er gíen afore he hes gotten,

        sae at God is behauden til him?

Aathing comes frae him, aathing is up-hauden bi him, aathing gangs hame til him. Til him be glore for iver an ey, âmen!

[From The New Testament in Scots (2012), translated by W. L. Lorimer, Canongate Classics, ISBN 978 0 85786 285 3, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here.]

Gospel reading
Matthew 16:13-20

Whan Jesus had come intil the kintra-side o’ Philip’s Cesarea, he speir’t at his disciples, “Wha dae folk say the Son o’ Man is?” And quo’ they, “Some, John the Baptist; and some, Elijah; and ithers, Jeremiah, or ane o’ the Prophets.” He says to them, “But wha say ye that I am?” And Simon Peter spak, and quo’ he, “ Thou art the Anointit Ane, the Son o’ the Leovin God!” And Jesus answerin, says till him, “ Happy are ye, Simon, son o’ John! for nae flesh and blude tell’t it t’ye, but my Faither i’ the Heevens. And I say t’ye, ye are a Rockman; and on this Rock wull I bigg my kirk; and the yetts o’ Hell sal nevir owercome it! And I wull gie t’ye the keys o’ Heeven’s Kingdom; and what ye sal bind on the yirth sal be bund in Heeven; and what ye sal lowse on the yirth sal be lowsed in Heeven.” Than chairged he the disciples no to tell ony man he was the Anointit Ane.

From The New Testament in Braid Scots William Wye Smith (1904) here

Mass readings in Scots: Twentieth Sunday of the Year (Year A)

First reading
Isaiah 56: 1, 6-7

Syne sae quo' the Lord: Haud ay by the straught, an' do ay what's right; for my ain heal-haddin's nar till win on, an' my right-recht till win intil sight.

An' the sons o' the frem wha tak up wi' the Lord, till ser' him; an' wha like the Lord's name, till be loons o' his ain; a' siclike's min' the sabbath weel, an' tak haud o' my tryst sae leal: I sal e'en fesh them hame till my halie hill, an' fu' blythe they sal be in my houss o' prayer; their burnt-offrans a', an' the beiss they fell, sal be a' taen weel on my autar thar: for that houss o' my ain, for the ilk ane, sal be ca'd the Houss o' Prayer.

[From Isaiah frae Hebrew intil Scottis, by P. Hately Waddell 1879 (Amazon US here; Amazon UK here)]



Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 66, 2-3, 5-6, 8.

GOD be gude till us; aye, an' be kind till us;
glint his face on us: Selah.
That yer gate may be kent on the yirth;
an' yer health amang a' the hethen.

Lat nieborly kins be blythe an' lilt:
for the folk ye sal right
i' the gate that 's straught;
an' the kins i' the lan', ye sal niebor them: Selah.

Lat the folk gie ye laud, O God;
lat the folk gie ye laud, the hail o' them.
God, he sal blythe-bid oursels ;
an' a' ends o' the yirth sal be fley'd o' him!


[From Psalm 67 in The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis by P. Hately Waddell (1891) here]


Second reading
Letter of St Paul to the Romans 11: 13-15, 29-32.

Bot I say to yow, hethinmen. For als lang as I am apostile of hethinmen, I sail honour my mynisterie, gif in ony maner I stere my flesch for to follow, and that I mak sum of thame saaf. For gif the lose of thame is the reconceling of the warld, quhat is the taking vp, bot lijf of deidmen?

And the giftis and the calling of God ar without forthinking.

And as sum tyme alsa ye beleuet nocht to God, bot now ye haue gettin mercy for the vnbeleue of thame; Sa and thir now beleue nocht into your mercy, that alsa thai get mercy. For God closit togiddir althingis in vnbeleue, that he haue mercy on alle.


[From The New Testament in Scots Murdoch Nisbet [c.1520] (1903) vol 2 here.]

Gospel reading
Matthew 15: 21-28

Then Jesus upt an left that place, an he went awa tae tha dïstrict roon Tyre an Sidon. An thïs Canaanite wumman frae thaim pairts cum tae hïm, cryin oot, "Loard, Sinn o Davit, hae peetie on me! Ma dochtèr ïs sufferin sumthin tarrible wi an ïll spïrit." Jesus niver saed a wurd. Sae hïs follaers cum tae hïm an plaidit wi hïm, "Senn hir awa, fer she's follaein iz an she'll no stap hir yellin oot." He saed bak, "A wus onlie sent tae tha loast sheep o tha Hoose o Israel." Tha wumman cum an got doon on hir knees afore hïm an she saed, "Loard, halp me!" "It ïsnae richt," saed he, "tae tak tha weans' breid an clod ït tae tha wee dugs." "Ay, Loard, that's richt," she saed, "but still wi aa, e'en tha wee dugs gits aitin tha crumbs that faa frae thair maïstèrs' boord!" Then Jesus saed bak tae hir, "Wumman, sitch an a faith ye hae! Ye'll het whut ye axt fer." An hir dochtèr got bettèr that verie oor.

(From Tha Fower Gospels  (2016) (Ulster-Scots), Ullans Press, ISBN: 978-1-905281-25-1, Amazon UK here,  Amazon US here.)

Mass readings in Scots: Nineteenth Sunday of the Year (Year A)

First reading

1 Kings 19: 9, 11-13

[Whan Elijah reachit Horeb, the mountain o God,] he went intae a hole i the rock for the nicht; then the word o the Lord came tae him, sayin, "Gae oot an tak yer place on the mountain before the Lord." Then the Lord went bi, an mountains were partit bi the force o a great wind, an rocks were broken before the Lord; but the Lord wis no i the wind. An after the wind thare wis an earth-shock, but the Lord wis no i the earth-shock. An after the earth-shock a fire, but the Lord wis no i the fire. An after the fire, the sound o a soft breath. An Elijah, hearin it, went oot, coverin his face wi his robe, an took his place i the openin o the hole. 

[Own translation, level 1, 9/8/20, methodology here.]

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 84: 9-14 (resp. v.8)

 O Lord, lat us see yer ain gudeness;

 an' yer heal-ha'din, wair 't on oursel! 

I maun hearken what God the Lord will speak syne:

for peace he sal speak till his folk. [...] 

Surely nar's his heal-ha'din till wha fear himsel; 

that gloiry may bide in our lan'. 

O Lord, lat us see yer ain gudeness;

an' yer heal-ha'din, wair 't on oursel! 

Rewth an' trewth hae forgather'd wi' ither; 

the right an' the lown, they hae kiss'd, the twa. 

Trewth schutes like the blade frae the grun'; 

an' the right, it leuks owre frae the lift. 

O Lord, lat us see yer ain gudeness;

an' yer heal-ha'din, wair 't on oursel! 

Syne the Lord, he sal gie us what's gude, 

an' our lan' sal be guid wi' her gift. 

The right, it sal fuhre afore him; 

an' sal airt us the gate o' his feet.

O Lord, lat us see yer ain gudeness;

an' yer heal-ha'din, wair 't on oursel! 

[From Psalm 85 in The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis P. Hately Waddell (1891) here]

Second reading

Romans 9: 1-5

It is the God's truith, an nae líe, what I am nou tae say; an I say it wi a conscience as clair as the Halie Spírit can mak it: I am that dule - ay, nicht an day sae dooms wae-hairtit - at I coud een pray tae be damned an cuttit aff frae Christ, an sae be my brithers, my nain kith an kin, wad be the better o it. They ar Israelítes; adoption as God's sons, the glorie o his praisence, the Covenants, the Law, the Temple service, an the hechts - aa thir is theirs. Theirs, tae, is the Pâtriarchs, an the Christ, as a man, comes o them: ay, an theirs is God, supreme owre aa, God, at is blissed for iver, âmen!

[From The New Testament in Scots (2012), translated by W. L. Lorimer, Canongate Classics, ISBN 978 0 85786 285 3, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here]

Gospel reading
Matthew 14: 22-33

An’ straughtway Jesus gar’t his disciples get intil a ship, an’ gae afore him until the tither side, while he sendet the thrang awa. An’ whan he had sendet the thrang awa, he gaed up intil a mountain by himsel to pray: and whan the gloamin’ was come he was there alane. But the ship was now in the middle o’ the sea, tosset wi’ waves; for the win’ was contrair. An’ in the fourt’ watch o’ the nicht Jesus gaed until them, gangin’ on the sea. An’ whan the disciples saw him gangin’ on the sea, they were fleyed, sayin’, "It is a wraith;" an’ they screighet out for fear. But straughtway Jesus spak’ until them, sayin’, "Be o’ guid cheer; it is me; binna fleyed." An’ Peter answer’t him, an’ said, "Lord, gin it be thou, bid me come until thee on the water." An’ he said, "Come." An’ whan Peter was come doun out o’ the ship he gaed on the water to gang til Jesus. But whan he saw the win’ gousty, he was afear’t, an’, beginnin’ to sink, he criet, sayin’, "Lord, saufe me." An’ at ance Jesus raught furth his han’, an’ teuk hand o’ him, an’ said until him, "O thou o’ little faith, wharefore didst thou doubt?" An’ whan they were come intil the ship, the win’ ceaset. Syne they wha were in the ship cam’ an’ worshippet him, sayin’, "Verament thou art the Son o’ God."

(From The Gospel of St. Matthew, Translated Into Lowland Scotch, by George Henderson (1862) here) 

Dugald Stewart on St Augustine and Beauty

Dugald Stewart:

In the article Beau of the French Encyclopédie, mention is made of a treatise on the beautiful, by St Augustine, which is now lost. Some idea, however, we are told, may be formed of its contents from different passages scattered through his other writings. [Stewart in note: "Augustin [sic], in his Confessions, records the purport of his treatise, De Apto et Pulchro"] The idea here ascribed to St Augustine amounts to this, that the distinctive character of beauty is, that exact relation of parts of a whole to each other, which constitutes its unity.

[...]

Even in the works of nature, one of the chief sources of their Beauty to a philosophical eye, is the Unity of Design which they everywhere exhibit. -On the mind of St Augustine, who had been originally educated in the school of the Manicheans, this view of the subject might reasonably be expected to produce a peculiarly strong impression.

Dugald Stewart, vol 5 Collected Works, pp.453-4, 'Note QQ, (p358), Essay III, chap. 3 -The Beautiful and St Augustine' (1855) here


Commentary:

I excerpt this with no guarantee that it is an adequate representation of St Augustine's views (this seems to be the best way to explore that topic), but rather because I find it interesting in two ways:

a) as a matter of the history of ideas, it suggests the close link between the idea of God and the idea of the (albeit limited) rational comprehensibility of the universe that is key to a lot of Stewart's thought: the task of the philosopher is simply to discern the rules which God, as designer, has laid down without expecting fully to be able to discern the reasoning behind those rules. God as designer and knowledge as the discernment of the pattern of that design are fundamental to his thought. (So yet again, the importance of religion to the Scottish 'Enlightenment' is clear.)

b) as a matter of philosophy, it suggests the way that the arguments for the existence of God in natural theology need to be read in both directions: that (eg) the argument from design not only shows the existence of God, but the existence of God shows the correct way of seeing the world -of seeing it as designed/beautiful/unified.

Mass readings in Scots: the Transfiguration of the Lord (Year A)

First reading
Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14

A went on lookin
till the seats o kings wis placed,
an ane like a gey auld man taen his seat:
his claes wis white as snow,
an the hair o his heid wis like clean wool;
his seat wis flames o fire an its wheels burnin fire.
A burn o fire wis flowin
an comin oot frae afore him:
a thousan thousans wis his servants,
an ten thousan ten thousans wis i their places afore him:
the judge wis seatit an the books wis open.
A saw i visions o the nicht, an thare wis comin wi the clouds o heaven
ane like a man,
an he came tae the ane that wis gey auld,
an they taen him near afore him.
An tae him wis gien authority an glory an a kingdom;
an aw fowks, nations, an languages wis his servants:
his authority is an eternal authority that winna come tae an end,
an his kingdom is ane that winna come tae destruction.

[Own translation level 1, 26/9/20. Methodology here]

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 96: 1-2, 5-6, 9 (resp. vv.1,9)

The Laird is Keeng,

heichest ower the yird.

The Laird is Keeng, lat the yird be blythe;

lat aw the sea launds be gled.

Mirk cluds is roond him;

his kinrick is grundit on richtousness an even deemin.

The Laird is Keeng,

heichest ower the yird.

The muntains turnt tae waux at the comin o the Laird,

at the comin o the Laird o aw the yird.

The hievens cried furth the newins o his richtousness,

an aw the fowk seen his glore.

The Laird is Keeng,

heichest ower the yird.

For ye, Laird, 

is heichest ower the yird;

ye ar liftit up ower aw ither gods.

The Laird is Keeng,

heichest ower the yird.

[From Psalm 97 in The Old Testament in Scots, vol. 3, The Books of Wisdom, [Job, Psaums, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Sang o Sangs] trans. Gavin Falconer and Ross G. Arthur (2014) (translation into Plain Scots under the auspices of the Ullans Academy) ISBN 978-1-78324-006-7. Amazon US here. Amazon UK here.]

Second reading

2 Peter 1: 16-19

It wis nae cannilie-made-up tales we war foundin on whan we teached ye anent the back-comin in pouer o our Lord Jesus Christ: wi our nain ee we hed behauden his maijestie. We war there whan God gíed him honour an glore, an a voice wis borne til him frae the glorious Maijestie on híe, sayin, "This is my beluvit Son, in wham I am weill pleised." Ay, wirsels we hard that voice frae heiven whan we war wi him on the halie muntain!

Bi that is the wurd o the Prophets corroborate for us. An ye dae weill til tent that wurd: it is een as a lamp shínin awà in an ourie bit, or the day daw, an the mornin sterne gings up in your hairts.

[From The New Testament in Scots (2012), translated by W. L. Lorimer, Canongate Classics, ISBN 978 0 85786 285 3, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here.]

Gospel reading
Matthew 17:1-9

An’ efter sax days Jesus takith Peter, James, an’ John his brither, an’ bringith them up intill ane heich mountan fer outbye. An’ was transfiguret afore them: an’ his face did shine as the sun, an’ his rаyment was white as the licht: an’, behald, ther kythet untill them Moses an’ Elias ta’kin’ wi’ him. Than answiret Peter, an’ said untill Jesus, "Lord, it is guid for us til be here: gif thou wult, let us mak’ here three taabernacles; ane for thee, an’ ane for Moses, an’ ane for Elias." While he yet spak’, behald, ane sheen clud owerskaddowet them: an’, behald, ane voyce out o’ the clud, whilk said, "This is my belovet Son, inwham I am weel pleaset; hear ye him." An’ whan the discipels heard it, they fell on their face, an’ wer sair afearet. An’ Jesus cam’ an’ tuchet them, an’ said, "Ræise up, an’ bina fearet." An’ whan they had liftet up their eyne they saw nаe man, saufan Jesus onlie.

 

An’ as they cam’ doun frae the mountan, Jesus charget them, sayin’, "Tell the vesion til nae man, untill the Son o’ man be risen frae the deæd."

 

The Gospel of St. Matthew in Lowland Scotch, from the English Authorised Version. By H. S. Riddell (1856) here