Happy Birthday Rabbie Burns

[Borzoi mad]

Hi today is the birthday of the poet Robert Burns


Here is the

Address to a Haggis.


Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect sconner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit:
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!


slainte



This is the menu for the burns Supper

Cock-a-Leekie soup
Haggis Neeps and Tatties
Whiskey and cream tartlets


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Borzoi03/Scotch.jpg





http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Borzoi03/Scotland.gif

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Borzoi03/ts.jpg

[Newt]

Had my Haggis tatties and neeps tonight ,our local butcher does fantastic bung haggis,will have a wee dram later!! Happy Birthday Rabbie .:cheers:

[cassiesmom]

When I was in high school, one of the Robert Burns poems we studied was called "Remorse". At the time I thought it was strange that we'd read a poem with such a somber subject - but as I get older, the poem gets more and more true to me.

Here's the first part.

Remorse: A Fragment
Of all the numerous ills that hurt our peace,
That press the soul, or wring the mind with anguish
Beyond comparison the worst are those
By our own folly, or our guilt brought on.

It's a good day in Chicago for making cock-a-leekie! I have everything on hand for it except - the leeks! That's a quick stop at the produce market though. Grey and windy out and a hot cup of soup will warm me up.

[Borzoi mad]

Not one of the best known one's and as you say somber -but true

and the next two lines are

In every other curcumstance, the mind
Has this to say 'It was no deed of mine'

Enjoy your Cock-a-Leekie soup and hope it warms you up.

[Borzoi mad]

Traditional Scottish Songs
- The Star o' Rabbie Burns




This song (words by James Thomson and music by James Booth) is frequently sung at the Burns Suppers around the world at the end of January each year which celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns.


The Star o' Rabbie Burns

There is a star whose beaming ray
Is shed on ev'ry clime.
It shines by night, it shines by day
And ne'er grows dim wi' time.
It rose upon the banks of Ayr,
It shone on Doon's clear stream -
A hundred years are gane and mair,
Yet brighter grows its beam.

Chorus
Let kings and courtiers rise and fa',
This world has mony turns
But brightly beams aboon them a'
The star o' Rabbie Burns.

Though he was but a ploughman lad
And wore the hodden grey,
Auld Scotland's sweetest bard was bred
Aneath a roof o'strae.
To sweep the strings o'Scotia's lyre,
It needs nae classic lore;
It's mither wit an native fire
That warms the bosom's core.

Chorus

On fame's emblazon'd page enshrin'd
His name is foremost now,
And many a costly wreath's been twin'd
To grace his honest brow.
And Scotland's heart expands wi' joy
Whene'er the day returns
That gave the world its peasant boy
Immortal Rabbie Burns.

Chorus

Meaning of unusual words:
gane=gone
mair=more
fa'=fall
aboon=above

[skunkstripe]

This is one of those times when I wish we could upload wav files - my imagination of how this sounds doesn't do it justice I don't think.
I'll raise a cup to him this evening though. :cheers:

[Borzoi mad]

Thanks Jean slainte........

[sheltie lover]

We had our haggis, neeps and tatties tonight for dinner too !