The Earth It Is The Lords

By Rabbi Burns (the well know jewish/scottish poet)
Translated by John McMenamin

Auld Aggie, she was praying
Sitting mumbling in her seat
"Oh Lord" says she, "I'm awfully poor,
And I've got damn all to eat."

Then through the stained glass window
There came a brilliant light
An' lit up poor auld Aggie
As she clutched the windows mite.

Then the pastor in the pulpit
With his auld, pious face
Read a passage from the bible
An' auld Aggies heart did race.

"The earth it is the Lords", says he
"It's written in Gods hand
The good Lord owns it all", he said
"The sky, the sea, the land."

Auld Aggie shuffled from the church
She had nothing for her dinner
Auld Aggie, she was starving
An' each day getting thinner.

Auld Aggie passed a field of spuds
An' turnips grew there too
"The earth it is the Lords", she said
"So I think I'll take a few".

Auld Aggie filled her apron,
With the turnips, spuds and kale
Then too peelers leapt on Aggie
An' took her off to jail.

"What's your defence?" the auld judge said
A drunken fat auld sod
"I heard a voice," said Aggie
"I heard the voice of God".

The judge cried "take her to the jail!"
An' lock the auld hag in
How dare she implicate the Lord
An' blame him for her sin."

Auld Aggie, she got eighteen months
Locked in an' auld dark cell
An' on Sundays, Aggie cursed an' swore
When she heard the auld church bell.

They let her out one Sunday
In the snow and in the sleet
Auld Aggie staggered to the church
And sat down on her seat.

An' up there in the pulpit
The auld pastor he did stand
"The earth it is the Lords", he said
"The sky, the sea, the land."

Auld Aggie, she jumped to her feet
An kicked up quite a stink
"I listened to you once", says she
"An' ended up in the clink".

"The earths not mine", auld Aggie sneared
An her auld face it turned blue
The earth is for the rich, says she
It's for fat, auld boys like you.

"I listened to you once", says she
"An' ended up in jail".
"I own damn all", cried Aggie
"I got nicked for pulling kale".

Auld aggie, took a stroke that night
Her auld face it turned blue
It was then she got a piece of earth
A grave-six foot by two

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You might also like:
John McMenamin's website
Get Writing NI
RaW (Reading and Writing)