Robert Burns

Robert Burns is a scottish poet/lyricist who wrote many of the dozens of folk songs I like to listen to. He is also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, Robden of Solway Firth, the Bard of Ayrshire and as The Bard. He writes his poems in english, or the language of the scots. Many of his poems have become songs, and are some of the best ones I have come across, the most popular being auld lang syne otherwise known as the new years song. His songs talk about love, nature, and events/times in history with a huge emphasis on Scotland in general. It is clear from his songs that he is Scottish. The country, the highlands, and many culturally Scottish things are put easily into his lyrics, and without them the songs wouldn't feel right. When I listen to many of his songs, I feel Scottish, and more than that the lyrics make me proud of my heritage. At the same time, there are songs about feelings, and songs about love. Rabbie can capture a moment that is relatable to everyone.

Here are a list of songs by rabbie burns that I can't help but love, I'll bold my absolute favorites...
sweet afton
Duncan gray
The slaves lament
Ay, Waukin, O
rattlin roarin willie
the lea-rigg
ye jacobites by name
rantin rovin robin
leezie lindsay
scots wha hae
Ye Banks And Braes O' Bonie Doon
Lassie Wi' The Lintwhite Locks
The Birks Of Aberfeldy
O Tibbie, I Hae Seen The Day
Such A Parcel Of Rogues In A Nation
O My Luve's Like A Red, Red Rose
Killiecrankie
There'll Never Be Peace 'Till Jamie Comes Hame
Awa, Whigs, Awa
Charlie, he's my darling
Green grow the rashes, O
Ae fond kiss
My heart's in the highlands
My love she's but a lassie yet

"We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne."
--Auld lang syne (In English not scots)

And that isn't even close to half the songs he has written! I've already discussed many of these songs, now that I think about it. My hearts in the highlands was in my post about going to maine, ye banks and braes of bonie doon I wrote a whole post about. Scots wha hae was in my last post when I was talking about how scotland opposed slavery, as well as the slaves lament. As for the red, red rose song, it is the first poem I ever memorized, I actually bought a poetry book, and was so extastic to find this poem was the first under the love catagory. Awa whigs awa is just a fun song, I got a version with a harmonica by james malcolm which just makes you want to dance. Green grow the rashes is just a nice melody, I got the pur version that also sings it in scottish gaelic. Lastly, Ae fond kiss, this song is actually one I knew before I started to learn about Scotland, because it is an american folk song too! The scottish people must have brought it over with them! I love this song, it is as simple as that. There are some songs that you have a thousand explanations for loving, but every now and then you find a song that speaks for itself, ae fond kiss is one of those songs. I love this song so much it goes beyond words.

“But to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love forever.
Had we never lou'd sae kindly,
Had we never lou'd sae blindly,
Never met - nor never parted -
We had ne'er been broken hearted” 
--Ae Fond Kiss

So, who is this amazing poet Robert Burns? He has an incredible voice, which shows in all of his work. He is referenced by countless people. His songs are sung all over Scotland, and auld lang syne stretches all over the world. He was a master, his beliefs were strong, and right, but what was his life like?

 
“Ye Hypocrites, are these your pranks
To murder men and gie God thanks
Desist for shame, proceed no further
God won't accept your thanks for murder.” 
--RB
 

Well, Robert Burns was born on 25th January 1759, in the village of Alloway, Ayrshire, which is a small village near to the town of Ayr on the West Coast of Scotland. His father, was an extremely poor man and in 1750 had moved to the area in search of work, which he found at Doonholm market garden. William Burnes (rabbie's father), (note the original spelling, later changed by Robert Burns himself) was granted a tenancy or lease over a small area of farmland which he worked while also continuing in his position as Head Gardener at Doonholm. He met and married Agnes Broun, a local girl, and built a small cottage at the farm. Robert Burns was born in this cottage, the eldest son of a poor peasant farmer. Image that, another amazing human being that grew up with harship. As a small child he worked long hours with his father, and many evenings were spent huddled round the fire listening to his mother's stories and his father reading from the bible (Which sounds like the most cozy family evening I could ever think of, but I'm sure there were times it wasn't so cozy). .

 

William Burnes contracted the services of a local teacher, John Murdoch. At an early age, it was apparent to Murdoch that the young Robert showed the potential of a gifted scholar. For Robert, the combination of poverty, hard work on the farm, story telling, the influence of the Kirk , his studies, and a tremendous ability to observe life in general, was the making of The Man. He would develop a wicked sense of humour, a controversial frankness decrying hypocrisy, a tender & thoughtful creativity, an alleged thirst for drink, a deep Nationalist pride in his beloved Scotland, and an insatiable passion for Women.

 

“Some hae meat, and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, And sae the Lord be thankit.”      

--selkirk grace (Prob not his but its associated with him) 

 

When his father died in 1784, Robert and his brother became partners in the farm. Robert Burns had some misadventures with the ladies resulting in several illegitimate children, including twins to the woman who would become his wife, Jean Armour.

Now, I can't mention Robert without talking about a Burns supper. Since Rabbie is so popular, there are alot of people who want to celebrate his poetry and its Scottish ties. I am one of these people, but I've never experienced a burns supper because when it comes down to it, I grew up in America. At a burns supper, scottish people do just that, celebrate Burns and their culture! There are bagpipers, haggis (which doesn't sound too good to me, but to each his own), kilts, poetry etc.


“But pleasures are like poppies spread; You seize the flower, its bloom is shed. Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white--then melts forever.”      
--RB


There is a legend about how the Burns suppers started:

In 1801, on the fifth anniversary of the death of Robert Burns, nine men who knew him met for dinner in Burns Cottage in Alloway to celebrate his life and works. The Master of Ceremonies was a local minister a liberal theologian and an equally liberal host. Hamilton Paul and his guests shared Masonic brotherhood with Rabbie and Paul devised an evening which looked a bit like a lodge ceremonial, centred on a fine fat haggis; with recitation and singing of Burns's works and a toast (in verse) to the memory of their friend and hero.

It was such a jolly evening, all agreed to meet again the following January for a Birthday Dinner for the bard, little knowing that they had invented a global phenomenon that we know as the BURNS SUPPER. Burns's popularity grew rapidly after his untimely death and the idea of meeting annually to share his poems and songs in the bonds of friendship caught the public imagination. Some Ayrshire merchants in Greenock followed with the first Burns Club Supper in January 1802 and the West coast towns with strong links to Rabbie reached out and joined in the new festival: Paisley, Irvine, Kilmarnock and Dumfries.

 “While Europe's eye is fix'd on mighty things,
The fate of empires and the fall of kings;
While quacks of State must each produce his plan,
And even children lisp the Rights of Man;
Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention,
The Rights of Woman merit some attention.”
--RB

Typically, a dozen or more men sat down to dine - as often working men as the middle classes - sometimes in a bar Rab had frequented. But the real link was his poetry with its message of love, freedom and the essential value of humanity. Many early suppers were organised by Burns Clubs who exist today, but a big boost in participation came with the big literary Burns Suppers, the original organised by Sir Walter Scott in Edinburgh in 1815 with Hogg the Ettrick Shepherd giving the Immortal Memory.

Here is a link on how to celebrate a burns supper:

ehow

“What's a' your jargon o' your schools, Your Latin names for horns and stools; If honest nature made you fools.”