Burns Night. Och aye the noo. Ae Fond Kiss.

Robert Burns – aye Scotland’s national poet aka  the bard. I said bard. So  It’s Burns night on 25th January which is when people will gather in kilts, eat haggis neeps and tatties, drink whisky and recite poetry. Though there are endless large organised gatherings in hotels and community halls it’s the smaller bothy nights of friends and family getting together and enjoying there own celebration of the man himself that hit the spot.

The large Clamjamfrey is good crack but generally I get hoodwinked into either performing at the supper, into buying a ticket to support a good cause or got talked into it by a well meaning but soon to be ex friend who just needed and extra couple of seats taken for her table. This year though it’s just a few of us round a table in my kitchen Ideal.

Of course in Canada, America expat communities put on full highland dress, rave about their Scottish ancestry and recite Burns poetry til the cows come home. God love them. Why not?
Any excuse for a party, a dance and a drink is something that must be grabbed with both hands.

So don’t hold back raise a glass to the bard.So many words written by this wild hairy womaniser but my favourite has to Ae Fond Kiss. Sung by my wild uncle Sandy when he stopped joking long enough to deliver this beautiful song so there was never a dry eye in the house.
Here is the wonderful Eddie Reader doing her unique and magical interpretation of the song. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ae Fond KissAe fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae farewell, and then forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.
Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy:
Naething could resist my Nancy!
But to see her was to love her
Love but her and love for ever.
Had we never lov’d sae kindly.
Had we never lov’d sae blindly,
Never met – or never parted
We had ne’er been broken-hearted.Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka. joy and treasure.
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae farewell, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee.
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.Meaning of unusual words:
Ae=one
ilka=every