carluke
listen, there’s no a soun noo …
gaun tell us it, sir! …
love
gly
Haikus

Author: Fitzgerald Kusz
Translator: Donal McLaughlin

Franconian by Fitzgerald Kusz Glaswegian by Donal McLaughlin
1
kalchreuth
carluke
zwaa maaddlä schdeing
in kalchraid assm zuuch:
su könnäd ä romoon oofangä
obbä in kalchraid
fangä ka romoon oo
two lassies get aff
the train in carluke:
the start ae a book it kid be
cept: hiv ye ever heard ae a book
startin in carluke?
Kalchreuth/two girls get off/the train in kalchreuth:/the start of a novel it could be/except in kalchreuth/novels don’t start
English by Donal McLaughlin
2
horch edz is allers
ganz leis, blouß
di muggn häiersd brummä
und dä wind gäihd
durch di bamm
edz mäimä langsam hamm
bevuäs findä werd
sunsd ferchdimi
ganz allaans mid diä
im wald. sooch hald wos,
du wos allers bassiän koo
neili houi glesn dou houd
annä liebesbohre däschossn
im wald. hobb gemmä
miä is dou einfach zleis –
sooch hald wos
listen, there’s no a soun noo,
it’s jist the midgies ye hear
an’ the wind
in the trees
we’ll hiv tae heid home soon
afore it gets dark
ah’ll be afraid otherwise
all alane wi you
in the forest
say sumthin, will ye
aw the things that can happen eh
ah wis readin there recently
someone’s been goin roun
shootin at couples,
in the forest an’ aw!
come on, let’s go!
it’s faur too quiet fur me here
say sumthin, will ye
listen! it’s gone silent/all you hear/is the midges humming/and the wind/in the trees/we’ll have to head home soon/before it gets dark/otherwise i’ll be afraid/all alone with you/in the forest/say something/all sorts of things can happen/i was reading recently/someone was shooting couples/in the forest. come on, let’s go!/it’s just too quite for me here/say something!
English by the editors
3
hä lehrä
däziehlns uns mall
däi schäinä gschichd
däi schäinä gschichd
vom gräich
wäis gschossn hamm
im schidzngroom
aff däi bäisn
bäisn feind
däziehlns uns mall
vo iäm luuch
des wos dou hamm
im kubf
vo derä bäisn kugl
vom bäisn feind
däi gschichd
däi is su schäi
hä lehrä
soongs doch mall
wenn kummd denn ball
wenn kummd denn ball
dä nächsde gräich
gaun tell us it, sir!
it’s a cracker!
tell us again!
the wan
aboot the war
hoo ye fired
frae the trenches
at they totally evil
cunts
tell us again – gaun!
aboot the hole
the wan in yir heid
frae they cunts’
evil bullet
it’s a cracker
sir
thon story
tell us
wul we hiv tae wait long
hiv tae wait long
fur oor ain war?
sir/go on – tell us/that great story/that great story/about the war/how you fired/from the trenches/at evil,/evil foes/go on – tell us/about the hole/the one in your head/from the evil foe’s/evil bullet/it’s great that story/sir/go on – tell us/is it goney be soon/is it goney be soon/the next war
English by Donal McLaughlin
4
liebe love

gechern hungä
hilfd ä schdücklä broud

gechern dorschd
hilfd ä schlücklä wassä

gechern reeng
hilfd ä scherm

gecher di käld
hilfd ä mandl

obbä gecher diich
hilfd nix!

agin hunger
a bit o breid helps

agin a drooth
a drap o water helps

agin the rain
a brolly helps

agin the cauld
a coat helps

agin you but
fuck-all helps

love/against hunger/a bit of bread helps/against thirst/a drop of water helps/against rain/an umbrella helps/against the cold/a coat helps/but against you/nothing helps
English by Donal McLaughlin
5
muggn fly
däi frau vuä miä
in dä schdraßnbohn
wou zeä rolln gloobabiä
zum schboäbreis umarmd
wous houdn däi dou
in meim gedichd väluän?
edz is drin:
ä muggn im bernschdein
the woman in frontae me
oan the tram
huggin ten rolls
o bargain toilet-paper
whit business his she
in ma poem?
Aye, well, she’s in it noo:
like a fly in amber
fly/the woman in front of me/on the tram/hugging ten rolls/of bargain toilet paper/what business has she/in my poem?/now she’s in it:/a fly in amber
English by the editors
6
deä wech is es ziel
du redsd di leichd:
iich find inn wech ned
the way is the goal.
easy said, like. me, ah
cannae find the way
the way is the goal/easy for you to say:/i can’t find the way
English by the editors
7
hobb, raus assm bedd
reiß alle fensdä auf:
di amseln singä widdä
mon, up oot yir bed
get they windaes open
blackburdz ur back, singin
come on, get out of bed/throw open all the windows:/the blackbirds are singing again
English by the editors