25.1.06

Happy Burns Night!

This will get the Scottish blood pumping round my veins again! It's Burns Night! And for once I have actually remembered and am celebrating it.... OK Jacqueline remembered it and invited some friends round for tea! Nevertheless we are having the traditional haggis, neeps, and tatties, and I plan to recite some Burns, despite my shamefully anglified accent, and of course there will the obligatory consumption of Single Malt Whiskey!

For those who don't know what you are missing, or for Scotland's prodigal sons like me, who have forgotten the details, the BBC have a great page devoted to the Burns Night activities.... Don't worry, we won't be doing them all!! I cannay learn the bagpipes in four hours!

To give you a flavour, it would be apt to let the great bard himself have the final word:

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

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!



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I looked at that page earlier and was amazed at how big a tradition it is! Dave suggested I try and learn one, or part of one of his poems for recital, but I didn't feel I could do it justice with my nice southern/midlands accent! Looking forward to your rendition!

Anonymous said...

Chris,

I was in Tesco's 2 days ago and thought, "wow they've got a wide range of Haggis!" and then realised today it is Burns Night. Much as I like haggis I don't have any at hand, mor any of Burns poetry so, alas, I will have to cut straight to the single malt whisky drinking - shame!

Chris Hamer-Hodges said...

Matthew,

Shame indeed! ;-) Have a dram o' Solera Reserve for me!

Ricky Carvel said...

Chris,
As you had to translate "Off tae Glasgae" a couple of weeks ago, I think you should really translate the words o' the bard for all your sassenach readers. Gid luck wi that! :o)

Ricky

Chris Hamer-Hodges said...

Ricky,

It's only because I have sassenach friends, that I can fake my way at Burns recital anyhow!

I remember one year at Uni, some friends invited me to a supper on Burns night and asked me to do the recital. When I arrived, I discovered that they had invited a couple of Glaswegians along too — I was well and truly rumbled!! ;-)

Gavin White said...

Enjoy the haggis and the whisky Chris - A interesting combination, must be a scottish thing - i'll have to get you or dave lavery to explain that to me sometime!

Anonymous said...

Now heres a thing for you Chris from a fully signed up Friend of Laphroiag... did you realise it was the Irish who learnt the secret of distilling alchohol originally invented in Arabia? It moved across Europe with the spread of Christianity and by the 13th Century the Irish had spread both Christianity and the secret of the distilling process to Islay and most importantly (for me) to the spot on the south-west corner of Islay where my favorite tipple is distilled. This early and crude for-runner of Laphroiag was a clear spirit known then by the Latin name of 'Aqua Vitae' - water of life! Mmm as good as its contemporary version now is, it falls far short of the real spirit, the true 'Water of Life'!! Have a great Burns Night! Slainthe!