Burns Night, haggis, etc

[Deblyn]

Tommorrow (25th January) is Burns night, where up and down Scotland and in parts of England where the poor exiled Scots live, people will celebrate the life and work of Scotland's greatest poet. It's traditional to have haggis, champit tatties and bashed neeps, washed down with liberal helping of whisky, bagpipes, poetry, son and general debauchery! The haggis is traditionally piped in to the table, and the master of ceremonies addresses it with Burns's "To a Haggis", which goes like this:

 

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 dight,

An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,

Trenching your gushing entrails bright

Like only ditch;

And then, what glorious sight,

Warm, reekin, rich!

 

Then, horn for horn they stretch and strive,

Deil tak the hindmost! 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 o'er his French ragout,

Or olio that wad stow 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 mak it whissle;

An' legs, an' arms, an' heads will sned,

Like taps o' thrissle.

 

Ye po'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!

 

Robert Burns 1759 - 1796

 

 

So there you have it. And you thought Thomas Hardy was difficult!!!

 

Happy burns night!

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Thank you for this. Being part of the "Scotland families", any type of this information is very interesting.

[mrszouave]

That sure was an interesting poem.....i recognised a few words......i think......

 

daaaaaling....i know about the neeps...and love em....lost me on the champit-- -taties i know.....

 

You sure do have fun there in Scotland/.England.

Thanks for tellling us about your celebrations.....Have FUN!

 

 

ps.....hey lowie....i think if you put the [image] first...then the http part...your siggie might come back....not sure.

[Guest Guest]

Happy Burns Night to you, too! Thanks for sharing! Hope you have fun!

[Dee]

I am bumping this up.... Have you ever had Haggis Lowie.. Thats probably a stupid question. I was wondering what it tasted like?

By the way too bad we can't scan the magazines on the computer so you can send them through e-mail... or even certain parts... Send me your e-mail and let me know. Postage is so expensive....Lets see what we can work out... Hugs

[Dee]

bump