A Gospel Lesson from the Braid Scots

35. And the same day, whan gloamin had come, he says till them “Lat us gang ower till the ither side.” 36. And sendin awa the thrang, they tak him, juist as they faund him i’ the boat ; and ither boats war wi’ them. 37. And thar cam up a great tempest o’ win’ ; and the waves war dashin ower intil the boat, sae that the boat was fillin. 38. And he was i’ the stern-sheets o’ the boat, sleepin on a wee pallet : and they rouse him, cryin, “Maister! care-ye-na that we perish ?” 39. And he roused up, and challenged the win’ ; and said till the Loch, “Peace! Be quate!” And the win’ gaed doon, and a was lown. 40. And he said til them, “Why suld ye be fley’d ? Hae ye no got faith?” 41. And they war in unco terror ; and quo’ they ane till anither, “Wha can this be, the e’en the win’s and the waves obey him ?” (Mark 4:35-41 Braid Scots N.T.)

Braid Scots, sometimes called the patter was the common language of Scotland, from the Borders to Aberdeen, and in some places in Ulster in Ireland. The patter was the language of my clan, the Bells, on my mither’s side, and the patter of the Smiths of Clan Chattan, and also of the Ulster Scots of my wife’s family. Now if you read the passage above rememer to roll your rrrs! Rrreading the Worrrd of God in the patterrr sometimes sheds new light and a differrrent focus on the meanin' o' the passage.

Compare the passage with the following from the English Standard Version:

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"

In the Braid Scots version in verse 35 “gloamin” means “evening”, and in verse 40 “Why suld ye be fley’d” translates as, “Why should you be affrighted.” The translation in verse 41 throws in sharp relief that the disciples were in “unco terror” or “great terror” not because of the storm but because of the power and authority of Jesus. If you attempt to read it aloud with one eye on the ESV translation you should be able to work out the rest of the words.