ROBERT BURNS NIGHT

One of the more pleasant nights in January 25th is Robert Burns Night, a night on which people celebrate the birth of Scotland’s most famous and beloved poet, Robert (Rabbie) Burns (January 25, 1759 – July 21, 1796).

The Burns Cottage in Alloway

Burns was born in Alloway in South Ayrshire. He was, to a large degree, what we would now call “home schooled”, his father acting as teacher. He studied Latin, French and mathematics with John Murdoch, who had opened his own school. He also (very) briefly attended Dalrymple Parish School.

Burns had an “amorous” bent and sired a number of children both in and out of wedlock. This did not win him friends among elders of the local kirk, and he was not seen as a reasonable prospect for a marriage. Despite having become a father through an affair with Elizabeth Paton, he carried on an affair with Jean Armour (whom he ultimately married in 1784), much to the dismay of her parents. Ultimately they had 9 children although 6 died in infancy.

He had terrible luck with his attempts at farming and in other jobs like flax dressing in 1781. The shop where he worked burned down during the 1781/1782 New Year’s celebration. In 1784 he became involved with an Alison Begbie whom he proposed by was rejected. He did, however show an interest in dancing, joining a dancing school, and formed a Tarbolton’s Bachelor’s Club to the chagrin of his father. In 1781 he was initiated in the Freemasons.

Romantically he continued affairs with several others, including Mary Campbell, with whom he may have performed a traditional marriage in 1786.

A Reconstruction of the family life in one of the rooms of the cottage

Unable to make a living he was offered a job in Jamaica in the West Indies. To make money for his passage he was urged to publish some of his poems on subscription. The day the announcement went out to raise money for the publication, Arour’s father, who had gotten a note in which Burns had promised to marry his daughter, tore up the promise. The kirk publicly rebuked him, Armour got a warrant for his arrest and Burns decided to leave.

The book of poems, Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was published in 1786 (Kilmarnock volume). In 1787 the Edinburgh edition was published. He failed however to go to Jamaica to work as a book keeper on a slave plantation, doubtless a problem because of his egalitarian feelings. His The Slave’s Lament (1786) seems to mirror his feelings about slavery, but it appears well before the start of the abolitionist movement.

His life involved a good deal of turmoil and he was sympathetic to the French Revolution and many unpopular reforms at home, He became despondent and lost many of his friends over his political and social ideas. He died at the age of 37 on July 21 1796 following a tooth extraction leaving behind him a remarkable body of work. He is buried in Dumfries.

His works are in both English and Scottish dialect (light enough to allow most people to be able to read it who are unfamiliar with the dialect. Many of his poems have been set to music by famous composers like Beethoven.

Burns night suppers have been held since January 29 1802 (later the birth records recorded the 25th as the correct date), the first being held in The Mother Club in Greenock

Traditionally, the Burns dinner begins with welcoming statements and a reading of the Selkirk Grace:

Scots:
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.

English:
Some have food and cannot eat,
And some would eat that lack it,
But we have food and we can eat,
So let God be thanked.

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 o' 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 dicht, (speaker draws knife and cuts haggis)
An' cut you up wi' ready slicht,
Trenching your gushing entrails bricht,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sicht,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit" hums.

Is there that o're his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect scunner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him ower 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 wallie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whistle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thristle.

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

Following this there is a speech made “To the Immortal Memory” which is about some aspect of Burns life or poetry. This can be serious or comedic, the author making the decision based on nature of the audience attending.

An Appreciation follows in which the host thanks the person having done “The Immortal Memory” speech.

A double toast, one made by a man called “A Toast to the Lassies” which was generally done to thank the women who prepared the food. Now it is more the speaker making some comment on the nature of women. It is followed by “A Reply to the Toast” (or sometimes “A Toast to the Laddies” Neither should be offensive and now a days they are often written in collaboration with one another.

Typically there may be more toasts, followed by the singing or reciting of Burns writings.

The dinner typically closes with a vote of thanks, after which the guests are asked to stand, join hands and sing “Auld Lang Syne”. Wikipedia gives the Burns version followed by the Scottish pronunciation (a phonetic transcription follows).

Auld Lang Syne

       CHORUS:

       For auld lang syne, my jo,
       for auld lang syne,
       we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
       for auld lang syne.

       CHORUS:

       Fir ald lang syn, ma jo,
       fir ald lang syn,
       wil tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
       fir ald lang syn.

         CHORUS:
         fəɾ o̜:l lɑŋ səin, mɑ dʒəʊ,
         fəɾ o̜:l lɑŋ səin,
         wiːl tɑk ə kʌp ə kəin.nəs jɛt,
         fəɾ o̜:l lɑŋ səin.

        CHORUS:
        For auld lang syne, my jo,
        for auld lang syne,
        we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
        for auld lang syne.

        CHORUS:
        On Old long syne my Jo,
        in Old long syne,
        That thou canst never once reflect,
        on Old long syne.