Mass readings in Scots: Feast of the Holy Family (Year A)

First reading
Ecclesiasticus 3: 2-6, 12-14

For God haes made the faither honourable tae the bairns:
an seekan the judgment o the mithers, haes confirmit it upon the bairns.
He at luves God, sal be forgien his sins bi prayer,
an sal refrain hissel frae thaim, an sal be haird i the prayer o days.
An he at honours his mither is as ane at gaithers a treisur.
He at honours his faither sal hae joy i his ain bairns,
an i the day o his prayer he sal be haird.
He at honours his faither sal enjoy a lang life:
an he at obeys the faither, sal be a comfort tae his mither.
Son, uphaud the auld age o thy faither,
an dinna fash him i his life;
an gin his wuts fails, hae patience wi him,
an dinna despise him whan thou is i thy strenth:
for the relievin o the faither salna be forgotten.
For guid sal be repaid tae thee for the sin o thy mither.

[Own translation, level 2 (20/12/18) methodology here]


Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 127: 1-5

Blissit ar thay that sit in Goddis dreid,
And leif in his commandement alway:
Of thy hand laubour thow sail eit, be not feird,
And fair weill thow sal euerie day.

Thy wyfe salbe as ane frutefulle wyne,
And sail weill ay incres thy hous;
Thy bairnis all sail to vertew inclyne,
As fair Oliue treis that be plenteous.

Quhen euer thow sittis at thy tabill,
Thy bairnis sall stand round about thé;
Sa will the Lord make thé abill,
And fill thy hous with honestie:

Sa sall God him euer blis,
That dreidis him ay in his leifing,
Always sall he be sicker of this,
That is neidful to want na thing.

Fra Syone sall the Lord blis thé ,
That thow may sé to thy greit weill,
How prosperous Jerusalem sall be,
And thow ressauit to eternall heill.

Ane profitabill lyfe sail be geuin thé
And God alway sall be thy freind:
Thy Childeris Childring thou sall se,
And peace in Israell sall thow find.

[Complete Psalm 127, from The Gude and Godlie Ballatis [1567] John Wedderburn et al., Alexander Ferrier (ed.) (1897), p.130 here]

Second reading
Colossians 3: 12-21

Pit ye on, than, as chosen anes o’ God, holie and weel-lo’ed, the tender-affections o’ compassion, graciousness, humbleness o’ mind, canniness, patience: tholin ane-anither, in tenderness forgiean ane-anither, gin aiblins ony ane has a compleent again ony; e’en as the Lord oot o’ love forgae you, sae do ye. But ower and aboon a’ thir things, hae ye love, whilk wull bind thegither a’ things in perfeteness. And lat the peace o’ Christ be Regent in yere hearts; till whilk ye war bidden, as ae body; and be ye thankfu’.

Be the word o’ Christ dwallin in ye richly; in a’ wyss teachin and admonishin o’ yersels, in psalms, in hymns, and godly sangs: liltin i’ yere hearts to God in yere gratitude. And in a’ things, whatsae’er ye be doin, in word or in wark, do a’ in the name o’ the Lord Jesus, giean thanks to yere God and Faither throwe him. Wives, submit yersels to yere husbands, as is fittin in the Lord. Husbands, lo’e yere wives, and be-na set again them. Bairns, be ye biddable to yere parents in a’ things, for this is weel-pleasin i’ the Lord. Faithers, wauken-na up ang’er in yere bairns, least they be disheartened.

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


Gospel reading
Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23

An’ whan [the wise men] were gane awa, behald, the angel o’ the Lord kytheth til Joseph in a dream, sayin’, "Rise up, an’ tak’ the young bairn an’ his mither, an’ flee intil Egypt, an’ be thou there till I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young bairn to tak’ his life." Syne he rase up, an’ teuk the young bairn an’ his mither by nicht, an’ gaed awa intil Egypt. An’ was there till the death o’ Herod, that it micht be fulfillet whilk was spoken o’ the Lord by the prophet, sayin’,

Out o’ Egypt hae I ca’d my son.

But whan Herod was dead, behald, an angel o’ the Lord kytheth in a dream til Joseph in Egypt, sayin’, "Rise up, an’ tak’ the young bairn an’ his mither, an’ gang intil the lan’ o’ Israel: for they are dead wha soucht the young bairn’s life." An’ he rase up, an’ teuk the young bairn an’ his mither, an’ cam’ intil the lan’ o’ Israel. But whan he hear’t that Archelaus rang in Judea in the room o’ his father Herod, he was afear’t to gang thither, but, bein’ warnet o’ God in a dream, he turnet aside intil the parts o’ Galilee. An’ he cam’ an’ dwalt in a city ca’d Nazareth; that it micht be fulfillet whilk was spoken by the prophets,

He sall be ca’d a Nazarene.

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

Merry Christmas!

                                                        Ann Macbeth, The Nativity here


Complete Mass readings in Scots for the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord here



Followis ane sang of the birth of Christ, with the tune of Baw Lula Low:


I come from heuin to tell
The best nowellis that euer befell,
To zow thir tythingis trew I bring,
And I will of them say and sing.

This day, to zow, is borne ane childe 
Of Marie meik, and Virgin milde.
That blissit bairne bening and kynde,
Sall zow reioyis, baith hart and mynde.

It is the Lord, Christ, God and Man,
He will do for zow quhat he can :
Him self zour Sauiour will be,
Fra sin and hell, to mak zow fre.

He is zour rycht Saluatioun,
From euerlasting Dampnatioun :
That ze may Ring in gloir and blis,
For euer mair in heuin with his.

Ze sail him find, but mark or wying,
Full sempill in ane Cribe lying:
Sa lyis he quhilk zow hes wrocht.
And all this warld maid of nocht.

Lat vs reioyis and be blyith
And with the Hyrdis go full swyith,
And se quhat God of his grace hes done,
Throw Christ to bring vs to his throne.

My Saull and lyfe stand up and se
Quha lyis in ane Cribbe of tre:
Quhat Babe is that, sa gude and fair ?
It is Christ, Goddis Sone and air.

Welcome now, gracious God of mycht,
To sinnaris vyle, pure and vnrycht.
Thow come to saif vs from distres.
How can we thank thy gentilnes!

O God that maid all Creature,
How art thow now becumit sa pure,
That on the hay and stray will ly,
Amang the Assis, Oxin and Ky?

And war the warld ten tymes sa wyde,
Cled ouer with gold, and stanis of pryde,
Unworthie it war, zit to thé,
Under thy feit ane stule to be.

The Sylk and Sandell thé to eis,
Ar hay, and sempill sweilling clais,
Quharin thow gloris greitest King,
As thow in heuin war in thy Ring.

Thow tuke sic panis temporall,
To mak me ryche perpetuall.
For all this warldis welth and gude,
Can na thing ryche thy celsitude.

O my deir hart, zung Jesus sweit,
Prepair thy creddill in my Spreit,
And I sall rock thé  in my hart,
And neuer mair fra thé depart.

Bot I sall pryse thé euer moir,
With sangis sweit vnto thy gloir:
The kneis of my hart sall I bow,
And sing that rycht Balulalow.

Gloir be to God Eternallie,
Quhilk gaif his onlie Sone for me:
The angellis Joyis for to heir,
The gracious gift of this new Zeir.

[From The Gude and Godlie Ballatis [1567] John Wedderburn et al., Alexander Ferrier (ed.) (1897), pp.49-51 here]





                                                    MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Mass readings in Scots: Fourth Sunday in Advent (Year A)

First reading
Isaiah 7: 10-14

The Lord God spak to Achaz, sayand, "Ask thou to thee a signe of thi Lord God, into the depnes of hell, or into the heicht abone." And Achaz said, "I sal nocht ask, and I sal nocht tempt the Lord."

And Esaie said,

"Tharfor the hous of Dauid, here ye,
Quhethir it is litil to yow for to be diseisful to men,
for ye ar diseseful alsa to my God?
For this thing the Lord him self
sal geue a signe to yov.
Lo! a virgin sal consaue, and sal here a sonn,
and his name salbe callit Emanuel.

[From The New Testament in Scots Murdoch Nisbet [c.1520] (1905) vol 3 here]

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 23: 1-6

The yirth is the Lord's, an' the fu'niss o't:
the warld, an' thaye that dwall therin.
For he heth fuundet it apon the seis,
an' sete it siccer apon the fludes.

Wha sail gae up intil the hill o' the Lord?
an' wha sall stan' in his haly piece?
He that heth cleen han's, an' ane pure hairt;
wha hethna liftet up his saul untill vainitie, nar swurn wrangouslie.

He sail receife the blessin' frae the Lord,
an' richteousniss frae the God o' his salvatione.
This is the ganeeratian o' thame that seik him;
that seik thy fece, O God o' Jacob.

[From Psalm 24, The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis P. Hately Waddell (1891) here]

Second reading
Romans 1: 1-7

Paul, a servan o Christ Jesus, caa'd tae be an apostle, an set apairt tae preach the Gospel o Godil aa them in Roum at is luved bi God an caa'd bi him tae be saunts: Grace an peace be wi ye frae God our Faither an the Lord Jesus Christ!

That Gospel, God promised it langsyne i the wurds o his Prophets at is written doun i the Halie Scripturs, an it tells o his Son, at wis born as a man o Dauvit's stock, an for his haliness o spírit wis constitute the Son o God, whan God pat out his pouer an raised him frae the deid, Jesus Christ our Lord. It is throu him at we hae gotten grace an the office o an apostle, wi the wark laid on us tae gang aagates amang the haithen an win men til obedience an faith, for the glorie o his name; an amang the lave yoursels, at hes gotten the caa an belang til Jesus Christ.

[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 1: 18-25

Now the birth o’ Jesus Christ was after this gate. When his mither Mary was bund in wadlock troth til Joseph, afore they cam’ thegither, she was fund wi’ bairn o’ the Haly Ghaist. Syne Joseph her husban’, bein’ a just man, an na willin’ to mak’ her a public example, was mindet to pit her awa hiddlinsly. But while he thoucht on time things, behald, the angel o’ the Lord kythet until him in a dream, sayin’, "Joseph, thou son o’ David, binna afear’t to tak’ until thee Mary thy wife; for that whilk is conceivet in her is o’ the Haly Ghaist. An’ she sall bring furth a son, an’ thou sallt ca his name Jesus; for he sall saufe his people frae their sins." Now a’ this was dune, that it micht be fulfillet whilk was spoken o’ the Lord by the prophet, sayin’,

Behald, a maiden sall be wi’ bairn, an’ sall bring furth a son, an’ they sall ca’ his name Emmanuel, (whilk, bein’ interpretet, is, God wi’ us.)

Syne Joseph, bein’ raiset frae sleep, did as the angel o’ the Lord had bidden him, an’ teuk until him his wife.

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

Mass readings in Scots: Third Sunday of Advent (Year A)

First reading
Isaiah 35: 1-6a, 10

The forsakin...and without way salbe glaid;
and wildirnes sal mak full out ioy,
and sal flour as a lilie.
It burionyng sal burioun,
and it glaid and praysand sal mak full out ioy.
The glorie of Liban is gevin to it,
the fairnes of Carmel and of Saron:
thai sal se the glorie of the Lord,
and the fairnes of our God.
Confort ye laamyt handis,
and mak ye stark febile kneis.
Say ye, Men of litil confort,
be ye confortit, and wil ye nocht drede;
lo! our God sal bring the vengeance of yeelding...,
God him self sal cum, and sal saaf vs.
Than the een of blind men salbe opnit,
and the eris of deef men salbe opin.
Than a crukit man sal skip as ane hart,
and the toung of dumb men salbe opnit:
The folk that's bought wi' Jehovah's fee,
sal home win owre that causey'd grun:
till Zioun, they sal come wi' glee;
an' en'less joie their heads abune.
Syne, a' that's blythe sal be their fa';
an' dule an' sighan flie awa!

[Isaiah 35: 1-6a from The New Testament in Scots Murdoch Nisbet [c.1520] (1905) vol 3 here; Isaiah 35: 10 (italicized) from Isaiah frae Hebrew intil Scottis, by P. Hately Waddell 1879 (Amazon US here; Amazon UK here)]

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145: 6-10 (resp. Isaiah 35:4)

[Come, Lord, redd us frae thrall!]

[It is the Lord] wha bides by the trewth evir mair:
wha rights amang sair-tholin folk;
wha ay ettles bread for the hungry,
the Lord lats the thirl-bun' gang.

[Come Lord, redd us frae thrall!]

The Lord, he can lighten the blin';
the Lord, he can straught the twa-fauld;
the Lord loes the rightous weel:
The Lord keeps haud o' the frem;
the orph'lin an' widow, he stoops;

[Come Lord, redd us frae thrall!]

bot the gate o' ill-doers, he dings.
The Lord sal be King for ay!
That God o' yer ain, O Zioun,
is frae ae folk's time till anither:
Laud till the Lord gie ye!

[Come Lord, redd us frae thrall!]

[From Psalm 146, The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis P. Hately Waddell (1891) here. Response adapted from Isaiah frae Hebrew intil Scottis, by P. Hately Waddell 1879 (Amazon US here; Amazon UK here)  Google books here]

Second reading
James 5: 7-10

Thole patiently, than, brethren! till the Lord be amang ye. Behauld, the tiller is waiting for the precious frutes o’ the yirth, and is patient wi’ it, till it gets the early and the hin-maist rain. Thole ye patiently, as weel I strenthen yere hearts; for the comin o’ the Lord draws on! Yammer- na, brethren, again ane anither, least ye be judged: see! the Judge stauns fornent the door. Tak ye, brethren, for yere likeness o' sufferan and patience, the Prophets that spak i' the name o’ the Lord.

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


Gospel reading
Matthew 11: 2-11

Now whan John had hear’t in the prison the warks o’ Christ he sendet twa o’ his disciples, an’ said until him, "Art thou he that sud come, or do we leuk for anither?" Jesus answer’t an’ said until them, "Gae ye, an’ shaw John again thae things whilk ye do hear an’ see: the blin’ receive their sicht, an’ the lame gang, the lepers are cleanset, an’ the deaf hear, the dead are raiset up, an’ the puir hae the gospel preachet til them. An’ blesset is he whasaever sallna be offendet be cause o’ me."


An’, as they gaed awa, Jesus begoude to say until the thrang anent John, "What gaed ye out intil the wilderness to see i’ a reed shaken wi’ the win’? But what gaed ye out for to see? a man claithet in saft claes? Behald, they wha wear saft claithin’ are in kings’ houses. But what gaed ye out for to see? a prophet? ay, I say until you, an’ mair nor a prophet. For this is he o’ wham it is written,

         Behald, I sen’ my messenger afore thy face wha sall mak’ ready thy road afore thee.

"Verily I say unto you, amang thae wha are born o' women there hathna risen a greater nor John the Baptist: yet he that is laist in the kingdom o’ heaven is greater nor he."

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

Mass readings in Scots: Second Sunday of Advent (Year A)

First reading
Isaiah 11: 1-10

A wand sal ga out of the rute of Jesse,
and a flour sal ga up of the rute of it.
And the spirit of the Lord sal rest on him,
the spirit of wisdome and vndirstanding,
the spirit of consale and of strenthe,
the spirit of cunnyng and of pitee;
And the spirit of the drede of the Lord sal fulfill him:
he sal nocht deme be the sicht of een,
nouthir he sal repreue...be the hering of eris;
Bot he sal deme in richtfulnes pure men,
and he sal repreue in equitee for the myldmen of erd;
and he sal smyte the land with the wand of his mouth,
and be the spirit of his lippis he sal sla the wickitman.

And richtfulnes salbe the belt of his lendis,
and faith (salbe) the belt of his renes...
Syne the wolf, he sal howff wi' the lam;
an' the libbard straught down wi' the kid;
an' the calf, an' young lyoun, an' stirk sal draw hame;
an' a wean, he sal airt them thegither.
An' the quey an' scho-bear, they sal mell;
an' their gaitlins be sib wi' ilk ither;
an' the lyoun tak strae like the knowte.
The bairnie sal rowe on the neuk o' the ethir;
an' the spean'd lay his loof on the dragon's howff.
They sal neither skaithe nor skail,
athort a' my halie hill;
for the yirth sal be fou o' the fret o' the Lord,
e'en's the fludes sweel the howe o' the watirs.
An' syne it sal be, wha sees the day,
the soukir o' Jesse's stok,
was heized for a stoop till the folk;
the folk till itsel sal forgather;
an' fu' lown, i' the light, it sal stay.

[Isaiah 11: 1-5 from The New Testament in Scots Murdoch Nisbet [c.1520] (1905) vol 3 here; Isaiah 11: 6-10 (italicized) from Isaiah frae Hebrew intil Scottis, by P. Hately Waddell 1879 (Amazon US here; Amazon UK here)]





Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 71: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

Wair yer rightins, O God, on the King;
an' yer right on the King's ain son:
He sal right-recht yer folk wi' right;
an' yer puir anes wi' right-rechtin, syne.

The rightous, fu' green in his days sal growe;
an' peace be enew, till the mune i' the lift sal pine.
Frae sea till sea sal he ring;
an' eke frae the flude that rowes, till the yonder-maist neuks o' the lan'.

For the feckless that skreighs, he sal saif;
an' the puir, and wha ne'er had a stoop o' his ain:
On the weak an' forfairn he sal lay fu' light;
an' the lives o' the frienless sal hain.

His name, it sal stay for evir an' ay;
his name, it sal win ayont the sun:
in him sal the folk be blythe,
an' blythe sal they a' bid himsel.

[From Psalm 72, The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis P. Hately Waddell (1891) here]


Second reading
Romans 15: 4-9

For as mony things as war putten doon afore-haun, war putten doon for oor lear, that throwe tholin and the consolation o' the Scripturs we soud hae hope. Noo the God o’ a’ tholin and consolation gie ye to tak tent to the same thing ane wi’ anither, accordin to Jesus Christ. Sae that, wi’ ae mind, and ae voice, ye may be magnifyin the God and Faither o' oor Lord Jesus Christ.

And sae help ye ane anither, e'en as Christ helpit you, to God’s glorie. For I threep that Christ becam a servant o’ circumceesion, in behauf o’ the truth o' God, that he micht mak siccar the promises gien to the faithers. That the nations, on the ither haun, micht magnify God for his mercie; e’en as it is putten doon: “For this cause wull I confess to thee amang the nations; and to thy name wull I sing psalms.”

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


Gospel reading
Matthew 3: 1-2

In thae days cam’ John the Babtist, preachin’ in the wulderniss o’ Judea, an’ sayin’, "Repent ye: for the kingdoom o’ heæven is at han’."  For this is he that was spokin o’ bie the prophet Esaias, sayin’,

The voyce o’ ane cryin’ in the wulderniss,
Prepair ye the waye o’ the Lord,
mak’ his peths straucht.

An’ the same John had his cleedin’ o’ camel’s hair, an’ ane leather girdin’ about his loins, an’ his meæt was locusts an’ wild hinny. Than gaed out til him Jerusalem, an’ a’ Judea, an’ a’ the boundes roun’ about Jordan, an’ wer babteezet o’ him, confessan their sins. But whan he saw mony o’ the Pharisees an’ Sadducees come til his babtizm, he said untill them, "О ganæretian o’ veepers, wha heth warnet yow til flee frae the Wraeth til come? Bring furth therfor fruts fittin’ for repentence. Аn’ thinknа ye til say intill yoursels, 'We hae Abraham til our faether': for I say untill yow, that God is yeable o’ thae stanes til ræise up childer til Abraham. An’ now alsua the ax is laid untill the rute o’ the tries: therfor ilka trie whilk bringithna furth guid frut is hewet doun an’ casan intill the fire. I indeed babteeze yow wi’ water untill repentence; but he that comith efter me is michtier nor me, whase shoon I amna wurdy til bear: he wull babteeze yow wi’ the Haly Ghaist an’ wi’ fire: whase fan is in his han’, an’ he wull throuchly sheel out his floor, an’ gether his wheet intill the girnall; but he wull burn up the chaff wi’ unslockenable fire."

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