Pilgrim's Progress in Ulster-Scots

This translation of John Bunyan’s ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ into Ulster-Scots by Philip Robinson will be serialised in this newspaper over the coming months. Ever since the classic Christian tale was first published in 1678, it has been the most popular religious book in Ulster next to the Bible. Many Ulster-Scots could identify with John Bunyan as he had written ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ while in a Bedford prison for his Non-Conformist beliefs. Indeed, during the following centuries, Bunyan’s stand as portrayed in this book became a heroic model for generations to come.

Alang tha Pilgrim’s Pad
(Owreset frae John Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ intae Ulstèr-Scotch by Philip Robinson)

Pairt Yin – Tha Stairt o tha Draim

Yinst A wus wannèrin amaing tha reuch grunn o this here warl whaniver A cum on a place whaur the wur a cosie wee neuk, an A jist layed masel doon fur a sleep; an, whaniver A wus sleepin, A dreamt a draim. A dreamt, hae, at A seen this boadie wi his claes in tattèrs, stuid wi his bak tae his ain hoose, an a buik in his haun, an a muckle wecht on his bak. (Isa. lvix. 6; Luke xiv. 33; Ps. xxxviii. 4; Hab. ii. 2.) A seen him apen tha buik an hae a read o it; an, whan he wus gaun owre it, he wus greetin an haed taen a fit o tha shakes; an, no fit tae houl bak onie mair, oot he cum wi a hairtscaldin guldèr, ‘Whit shud A dae?’ (Acts ii. 37.)

Sae, in a richt state, he went hame, keepin his thochts til hissel as lang as he cud, fur fear his guidwife an childèr shud see him upset. He cudnae houl his tung fur lang but, fur it wus sair annoyin him mair an mair. Syne, he apened up til his wife an weans, an begoud taakin tae thaim, ‘Ach Dear! Ma guid wife,’ qo he, ‘an youse, ma ain weans. See me, yer maist luvin freen, weel A’m fair scunnèrt wi this wecht pu’ in me doon. An no jist that, we’r fur bein burnt doon wi fires fae abane; an amaing aa thon fearfu burnin, baith me masel, wi you ma guid wife, an youse ma wee weans, is aa gaun tae dee, less (an A cannae see whit wye) a road oot can be fun tae save us aa.’

His femilie wus sair gunked wi aa this, no that the iver thocht at whit he haed sayed wus richt, but the jaloused he wus awa in tha heid. Seein it wus dailigan an dairk gettin, the thocht a guid sleep micht cud help him get his heid shired, sae the pit him aff tae his bed fur tha nicht. But tha nicht wus as bad as tha day. Aa tha nicht he wus wakerife an greetit an yowled. Sae, cum tha moarn, the axt him whit wye he wus. He telt thaim, ‘Waur an waur’, an begoud taakin tae thaim agane; but thair hairts wus stairtin tae get haird. The thocht forbye at the cud mak him wise up by bein shairp-tongued wi him. Whiles the wud let on he wusnae thar. Sae, he begoud takkin hissel aff up tae his chaummer,fur tae mak a prayer. Sicana wye he wud spenn tha day.

Noo A seen, yinst, whaniver he wus dannèrin aboot tha fiels, that he wus readin his buik (like he wus aye daein), an somethin wus sair botherin him; an then he guldèrs oot, like he daen afore, ‘Whit maun A dae tae get saved?’ (Acts xvi. 30,31.)

Then A cud see him leukin aa roon aboot him, like he wus fur rinnin; but he didnae budge, fur (A jaloused) he didnae ken whit airt tae gang. A leuked syne an seen a boadie cried Evangeliser cum up tae him an speir, ‘Whit’s wrang ye’r greetin?’

He reponed, ‘Freen, A fun oot fae this buik A hae in ma haun at A maun dee, an eftèr that A maun be judged; an, sowl, A’m set agin daein tha furst, an A’m no fit fur daein tha seconn. (Heb. ix. 27; Job xvi. 21,22; Ezek. xxii. 14.)
Than Evangeliser qo’s, ‘Hoo cum ye’r owre ocht agin deein, gin leevin is sae fu o badness?’ Tha boadie reponed, ‘Fur fear this wecht on ma shoudèrs micht pu me doon ablow tha grave itsel, an A’ll faa intae Tophet. (Isa. xxx. 33.) An, freen, shud A no be fit fur jail, fur certes A’m no fit fur onie judgin, nae mattèr bein tuk an hung. An tha thocht o aa that gars me greet’. Then sez Evangeliser, ‘Gin this is hoo ye be, whit ir ye staunnin here fur wi yer twa feet tha yin lenth?’ He reponed, ‘Acause A dinnae ken whit airt tae gang.’ Then he gien him a rowed up blaud o paper; an in it wus writ, ‘Flit frae tha rage tae cum!’ (Matt. iii. 7.) Sae tha boadie gien it a read; an takin a tentfu leuk at tha Evangeliser, qo he, ‘Whaur shud A flit tae?’ Then Evangeliser ses, pointin wi his fing’r owre this gye an braid fiel, ‘D’ye see thon wee yett, tha Wicket-Gate, like?(Matt. vii. 13,14.) ‘Na,’ sez tha boadie. ‘Weel,’ qo he, ‘D’ye see thon shinin licht?’ (Ps. cxix. 105; 2 Pet. I. 19.) He sez, ‘A think A dae.’ Then Evangeliser sayed, ‘keep yer ee on thon licht, an gang straucht til it, tae ye see tha yett; whaur, whan ye gie it a chap, ye'll be telt whit ye maun dae.’ Sae in tha draim A seen tha man begoud a’rinnin. Noo, he hadnae rin far frae his ain dorr, whan his wife an weans seen him an begoud caa’in eftèr him fur tae cum bak hame (Luke xiv. 26); But tha man pit his fing’rs in his lugs, an run on, caa’in, ‘Life! Life! Ayelastin life!’
Sae he niver tuk yin leuk ahint him (Gen. xix. 17), but fled tae tha middle o tha apen kintra.

Glossary:
syne – then
begoud – began
abane – above
jalouse  - imagine
waur – worse
wakerife – sleepless
whiles – sometimes
dailigan – dusk
gin – if
repone – answer
ablow – below
blaud – page
tentfu – careful
yett – gate
ahint – behind
kintra – country
owre ocht – exceptional