Quhan words he found, their elritch sound
Was like the norlan blast,
Frae yon deep glack, at Catla's back,
That skeegs the dark-brown waste.
The troublit pool conveyit the gowl
Down to yon echoin rock;
And to his maik, with wilsum skraik,
Ilk bird its terror spoke.
"Vile droich," he said, "art nocht afraid
"Thy mortal life to tyne?
"How dar'st thou seik with me till speik,
"Sae far aboon thy line?
"Yet sen thou hast thai limits past,
"That sinder sprites frae men,
"Thy life I'll spare, and aw declare,
"That worms like thee may ken.
"In kintries nar, and distant far,
"Is my renoun propalit;
"As is the leid, my name ye'll reid,
"But here I'm Kelpie callit.
"The strypes and burns, throw aw their turns,
"As weel's the waters wide,
"My laws obey, thair spring heads frae,
"Doun till the salt sea tide.
"Like some wild staig, I aft stravaig,
"And scamper on the wave:
"Quha with a bit my mow can fit,
"May gar me be his slave.
"To him I'll wirk baith morn and mirk
"Quhile he has wark to do;
"Gin tent he tak I do nae shak
"His bridle frae my mow.
"Quhan Murphy's laird his biggin rear'd,
"I carryit aw the stanes;
"And mony a chiell has heard me squeal
"For sair-brizz'd back and banes.
"Within flude-mark, I aft do wark
"Gudewillit, quhan I please;
"In quarries deep, quhile uthers sleep,
"Greit blocks I win with ease.
"Yon bonny brig quhan folk wald big,
"To gar my stream look braw;
"A sair-toil'd wicht was I be nicht;
"I did mair than thaim aw.
"And weel thai kent quhat help I lent,
"For thai yon image framit,
"Aboon the pend quhilk I defend;
"And it thai Kelpie namit.
"Quhan lads and lasses wauk the clais,
"Narby yon whinny hicht,
"The sound of me their daffin lays;
"Thai dare na mudge for fricht.
"Now in the midst of them I scream,
"Quhan toozlin' on the haugh;
"Than quhihher by thaim doun the stream,
"Loud nickerin in a lauch.
"Sicklike's my fun, of wark quhan run;
"But I do meikle mair:
"In pool or ford can nane be smur'd
"Gin Kelpie be nae there.
"Fow lang, I wat, I ken the spat,
"Quhair ane sall meet his deid:
"Nor wit nor pow'r put aff the hour,
"For his wanweird decreed.
"For oulks befoir, alangis the shoir,
"Or dancin' down the stream,
"My lichts are seen to blaze at een,
"With wull wanerthly gleam.
"The hind cums in, gif haim he win,
"And cries, as he war wode;
'Sum ane sall soon be carryit down
'By that wanchancy flude.'
"The taiken leil thai ken fow weel,
"On water sides quha won;
"And aw but thai, quha's weird I spae,
"Fast frae the danger run.
"But fremmit fouk I thus provoke
"To meit the fate thai flee:
"To wilderit wichts thai're waefow lichts,
"But lichts of joy to me.