watching the procession to open Scotland’s parliament
ceased 25 March 1707 resurrected 1 July 1999

there is no stone where the hawk soars,
no hawk where the stones stand

nor at their cobbled feet, no king
to reign his wide high street

where only rain crowns a castle-hill
no burning women wish they’d drowned

and the shuttered shops can sell no cloth
while no tea or snuff is taken there

as no gill bell rings this meridian
nearly three hundred years are turned around

on a spiral stair. Edinburgh sings
an old song to a newborn tune, and a star

is lit where stone mounts dust
to raise us up where the hawk can soar.

watching the riding to open Scotland’s parliament
ceased 25 March 1707 resurrected 1 July 1999

thur is nae stane whaur the gled soars,
nae gled whaur the stanes staun

nor it thair cobbled feet, nae king
tae reign ees braid high street

whaur nowt but smirr croons a castlehill
nae burnin weemin wish they’d drooned

an the shuttered shops kin sell nae claith
whiles nae tea or snuff is taen ben there

gin nae gill bell dirls oor meridian
near three hunner year ae time birls roon

oan a turnpike stair. Auld Reekie sings
an auld sang tae a newborn tune, an a staur

is kenled whaur stane mounts stoor
tae heicht us up whaur the gled kin soar.