NORN KJOKL

I wondered how the spelling of the lyrics would work out in Nynorn and if their pronunciation would match Nynorn's:



And it's a good song!

I think this performance is not representative of N(yn)orn phonetics, as this family who is singing in the video, are from the Aberdeen area and not from Shetland. But it also depends on what version of the song they had been using when they started rehearsing the song.

Can I ask although the phonetics may be off, are the transliterated words of the song in the video's blurb recognisably Norn? What a beautiful song!

This song certainly originates in Norn, but its language is already much worn out and has additions from the Scots dialect of Shetland. Here's its text with translation from the Shetland Dialect website:

The Unst Boat Song is Shetland's oldest surviving song. The text is fragmented Norn mixed with some dialect. This version is sung by Fair Isle family group, Friðarey, and is available on their CD Across the Waters, FAIRCD1.

Starka virna vestilie
Obadeea, obadeea
Starka, virna, vestilie
Obadeea, monye.

Stala, stoita, stonga raer
O, whit says du da bunshka baer?
O, whit says du da bunshka baer?
Litra mae vee drengie.

Starka virna vestilie
Obadeea, obadeea
Starka, virna, vestilie
Obadeea, monye.

Saina, papa wara
Obadeea, obadeea
Saina, papa wara
Obadeea, monye.

Starka virna vestilie
Obadeea, obadeea
Starka, virna, vestilie
Obadeea, monye.

Translation suggested by W.W. Ratter:

starka - strong
virna - weather, wind
vestilie - westerly
obadeea - trouble, hurt
monye - men
stala - put in order
stoita - support
stong - mast
rae - yards (of a mast)

O whit says du? - O what do you say? (modern Shetland dialect)
da bunshka baer - that the boat will bear or carry her sail
litra mae vee - I am pleased with that
drengie - boys

Saina papa wara - Bless us, our Father

https://www.shetlanddialect.org.uk/Unst-Boat-Song