Sunday 24 December 2017

Mass readings in Scots: the Nativity of the Lord (Mass at Midnight)


First reading
Isaiah 9: 1-7

The pepile that yede in mirknessis
saw gret licht;
quhen men duelt in the cuntre of schadow of dede,
licht raase up to thame.

The folk ye hae doubled forby
an' gien them a hansel o' joy;
they're fain afore thee,
as wi' hairstin glee,
an' as rievers are blythe at pairtin the ploy.
For the bunemaist girth o' his lade,
an' the brank on his shouldir blade,
an' the rung i' the taksman's nieve
was owre him ay sae stieve;
ye hae flinder'd their three-fauld ban',
as ance i' the day o' Midian.
For a' the gran' graith o' weir,
an' the plaidin wi' bluid lappit fou;
it sal e'en be till flung i' the fire,
an'  for snacks till the bleezan lowe.

For suth a litil child is born to vs,
and a sonn is gevin to vs;
and princehede is made on his schuldir;
and his name salbe callit
Wonndirfull, and Connsaler, God, Strenthie,
a Fader of the warld to-cummand, Prince of pece.
His empire salbe multiplijt,
and na end salbe of his pece;
he sal sitt on the sete of Dauid,
and on the realme of him,
that he conferme it, and mak stark
in dome and richtfulnes, frahynfurth and till into withoutin end.

[From a) The New Testament in Scots Murdoch Nisbet [c.1520] (1905) vol 3, pp. 277-8 here; b) italicised additions from Isaiah frae Hebrew intil Scottis, by P. Hately Waddell 1879 (Amazon US here; Amazon UK here) ]

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 95: 1-3, 11-13

SING untill the Lord ane new sang;
sing untill the Lord, a' the yirth.
Sing untill the Lord, bliss his næme;

shaw furth his salvatione frae daye til daye.
Speik furth his glorie amang the heæthin,
his wunders amang a' kin-kyne.

Let the heævens rejoyce, an' let the yirth be gladsume;
let the se rair, an' the fu'niss thero'.
Let the feeld be joyfu', an' a' that is in't;
than sail the tries o' the wud rejoyce
afore the Lord ; for he cums,
for he cums til juudge the yirth:

he sail juudge the warld wi' richteousniss,
an' his peeple wi' trouth.

[From Psalm 96, The Book of Psalms in Lowland Scots Henry Scott Riddell (1857) here]

Second reading
Titus 2: 11-14

For grace o God hes kythed wi salvâtion for aa men; an it hes taen us in haund, lairnin us tae gíe owre wi gudelessness an warldlie craves, an líve douce, honest, gude-fearin lives i the praisent warld, ey waitin on the fufilment o our blissit howp, the kythin o the Glorie o our gryte God an Sauviour, Christ Jesus, at gíed himsel in our behauf tae redeem us frae aa wickitness an mak o us a fowk o his nain, clean o the fylement o sin, an ey fond tae dae what is richt an guid.

[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 
Luke 2: 1-14

Noo i’ thae days it cam aboot thar gaed oot a decree frae Cesar Augustus that a’ the inhabiters o’ his dominions soud be enrolled. And this enrollment was made whan Quirinius was Governor in Syria. And a’ war gaun to be enrolled, ilk ane to his ain citie. And Joseph, as weel, gaed up frae Galilee, oot o' the citie o’ Nazareth, intil Judea, intil Dauvid’s citie, whilk is ca’d Bethlehem ; for that he was o’ the hoose and stock o’ Dauvid: to be enrolled, wi’ Mary his betrothed wife, wha was a mither-to-be. And sae it was, that while they war thar, the days war fulfilled for her to bring forth. And she brocht forth her son -her first-born- and row’t him in a barrie-coat, and laid him i’ the manger, for that there was nae room for them i’ the inn. And thar war in the same kintra side herds bidin i’ the fields, and keepin gaird ower their flocks by nicht. And see! an Angel o’ the Lord cam till them, and the glorie o’ the Lord glintit roond aboot them; and they war sair gliff’d. And the Angel said, “Be-na gliff’d; for I bring ye gude tidins o’ muckle joy to the hail warld! For thar is born t’ye this day, in Dauvid’s toun, a Saviour, wha is the Anointit Lord. And here is the token for ye: ye’se fin' the bairn row’t in a barrie-coat, lyin in a manger.” And a' at ance there was wi’ the Angel a thrang o’ Heeven’s host, praisin God, and sayin,

“Glorie to God i' the heighest heights,
and on the yirth peace! Gude wull to men!”

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


Merry Christmas!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for keeping these coming. Happy Christmas!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!! A very Merry Christmas (and 2018) to you too.

      Lazarus

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