Wee Robby Burns

Today is Burns night, the 2nd most popular night in Scotland, right behind Hogmaanay (New Year's) (ironically, still bigger than Christmas here) (because Scots liked to celebrate the new year as a new beginning in respect to Jesus' coming, and not on top of a pagan holiday). It's the night that Scots get together, eat haggis (surprisingly tasty if you don't think of what's in it), neeps and tatties (mashed turnips and mashed potatoes) and perhaps with a ceilidh and wearing of kilts. It's quite wonderful. Robby Burns is amazing, although you may actually need a translator for a lot of his Scottish slang. But in the end, it's well worth it. Well.

Today I went into this sweet antiquarian bookstore in Inverness called Leaky's. It's absolutely my favourite place. Inside I found an old book full of Burns' poems, a rich treasure trove of sentimentalism at its best. One interesting thing I discovered was that a lot of his poems were put to the tunes of old Scottish tunes so they'd actually be sung. How cool is that?!

Beyond all others, this is still my favourite. Yes, the first one I was introduced to, but still my favourite.

O MY LUVE'S LIKE A RED, RED ROSE

, MY Luve's like a red, red rose,

That's newly sprung in June.

O, my Luve's like the melodie,

That's sweetly play'd in tune.




As fair art thou, my bonie lass,

So deep in luve am I,

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry.




Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun!

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.




And fare thee weel, my only luve,

And fare thee weel a while!

And I will come again, my luve,

Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

Truly wonderful, isn't it? Yes. Yes, indeed. And exactly what every girl should hold out for. Well, at least this one will...