Robert Burns Poetry Recitation Competition:

Transcription

1 Robert Burns Poetry Recitation Competition: Required Recitation Pieces To Whom It May Concern: This packet contains the required materials for the Robert Burns Poetry Recitation Competition which is sponsored by the many combined Scottish Borders clan (family) organizations in Colorado. The socalled Borders clans are the Scottish families that are on or come from the southernmost border of Scotland with the northernmost Border of England. The famous Scots poet, Robert Burns ( ) was born in Alloway in southwest Scotland. The annual traditional Burns Supper is held all over the world around Burn s birth date, January 25 th. The Competition is offered to Colorado high school students with the goal of furthering their understanding of this tradition. The Competition awards winning students cash prizes and award certificates. Please see the accompanying event flier and registration form for specific details. The required pieces include: The Selkirk Grace Address to A Haggis Green Grow the Rashes, O! The Rights of Woman Auld Lang Syne The pieces do not have to be memorized, but they do have to be read in the original Scots text. There are also other parts to a Burns Supper presentation such as The Immortal Memory, Toast to the Lassies, and Reply to the Toast to the Lassies, but these are not Burns poems per se. They are freeform speeches that individuals deliver at the events. Many more entertainments are typically performed such as music and dancing in celebration of this worldwide literary figure and the culture from which he comes. We encourage you to search the Internet and books to learn more about Burns. He wrote well over 600 poems and songs. So you are just touching the surface of his genius with these required pieces. He wrote in the Scots (Doric) dialect and also what is called Broad Scots. You may want to look up versions of these pieces that offer English explanations of the Scots words. Your performance must be done in the Scots dialect however. There may be recorded versions of these works available on the Internet such as YouTube. Thank you for participating in this event. We look forward to meeting you. Good luck!

2 The Selkirk Grace 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 Thanket! NOTE: Burns is usually credited with writing this short grace which is performed at the Burns Suppers around the world, but actually he did not. The story goes that although attributed to Burns, the Selkirk Grace was already known in the 17 th century as the Galloway Grace or the Covenanters' Grace. It came to be called the Selkirk Grace because Burns was said to have delivered it at a dinner given by the Earl of Selkirk. The real author is not known. For your next piece, here is some information about the food called haggis: Haggis is a loose meat sausage mixed with oatmeal and spices, cooked in a bag of some type. It is usually served with mashed potatoes ( tatties ) and mashed turnips ( nips or neeps ) which could also be known as rutabagas. It is common in Scotland, all of Great Britain and other countries. At a Burns Supper, guests usually sample this as part of a regular meal. So the Burns piece, Address to a Haggis is a comedy address extoling the virtues of this tasty delicacy! Imagine writing a poem to a hot dog or hamburger! 2

3 Address to a Haggis Broad Scots Dialect 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 ye up wi' ready sleight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright, Like onie ditch; And then, Ach! what a glorious sight, Warm - reekin', rich! Then, horn for horn, they stretch an 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 that owre his French ragout, Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad made 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' bluidy flood or field to dash, Ach! 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'll sned Like taps o' thrissle. 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! English Translation Good luck to you and your honest, plump face, Great chieftain of the pudding race! Above them all you take your place, Gut, stomach-lining, or intestine, You're well worth a grace As long as my arm. The overloaded serving tray there you fill, Your buttocks shaped like a distant hilltop, Your wooden skewer could be used to fix a mill If need be, While through your pores your juices drip Like liquid gold. His knife see the serving-man clean, And then cut you up with great skill, Making a trench in your bright, gushing guts To form a ditch, And then, Oh! What a glorious sight! Warm, steaming, and rich! Then, spoonful after spoonful, they eagerly eat, The devil will get the last bit, on they go, Until all their well-stretched stomachs, by-and-by, Are bent like drums, Then the head of the family, about to burst, Murmurs Thank the Lord". Is there a pretentious soul who, over his French ragout, Or Italian cuisine that would make a pig sick, Or French stew that would make that same pig ill With complete and utter disgust, Looks down with a sneering, scornful attitude, On such a meal? (as Haggis) Poor devil! See him over his trash! As feeble as a withered bullrush, His skinny leg no thicker than a thin rope, His fist the size of a nut, Through a river or field to travel, Completely unfit! But look at the healthy, Haggis-fed person! The trembling earth respects him as a man! Put a knife in his fist, He'll make it work! And legs, and arms, and heads will come off, Like the tops of thistle. You Powers who look after mankind, And dish out his bill of fare, Old Scotland wants no watery, wimpy stuff That splashes about in little wooden bowls! But, if You will grant her a grateful prayer, Give her a Haggis! 3

4 Green Grow the Rashes, O! The sweetest hours that e'er I spend, The sweetest hours that ever I spend, Are spent amang the lasses, O. Are spent among the lasses, O. There's nought but care on ev'ry han', There is nothing but care on every hand, In ev'ry hour that passes, O: In every hour that passes, O: What signifies the life o' man, What signifies the life of man, An' 'twere na for the lasses, O. And it were not for the lasses, O. The war'ly race may riches chase, - The worldly race may riches chase, An' riches still may fly them, O; And riches still may fly them, O; An' tho' at last they catch them fast, And though at last they catch them fast, Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O. Their hearts can never enjoy them, O. But gie me a cannie hour at e'en, But give me a quiet hour at evening, My arms about my dearie, O; My arms about my dearie, O, An' war'ly cares, an' war'ly men, And worldly cares and worldly men, May a' gae tapsalteerie, O! May all go topsy-turvy, O! For you sae douce, ye sneer at this; For you so grave, you sneer at this; Ye're nought but senseless asses, O: You are nothing but senseless asses, O; The wisest man the warl' e'er saw, The wisest man the world ever saw, He dearly lov'd the lasses, O. He dearly loved the lasses, O. Auld Nature* swears, the lovely dears Old Nature swears, the lovely dears Her noblest work she classes, O: Her noblest work she classes, O: Her prentice han' she try'd on man, Her apprentice hand she tried on man, An' then she made the lasses, O. And then she made the lasses, O. The sweetest hours that e'er I spend, The sweetest hours that ever I spend, Are spent amang the lasses, O. Are spent among the lasses, O. Mother Nature* 4

5 The Rights of Woman (An occasional address by Robert Burns written for and spoken by Miss Fontenelle on her benefit night, November 26, 1792.) While Europe's eye is fix'd on mighty things, The fate of Empires and the fall of Kings; While quacks of State must each produce his plan, And even children lisp the Rights of Man; Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention, The Rights of Woman merit some attention. First, in the Sexes' intermix'd connection, One sacred Right of Woman is, protection. The tender flower that lifts its head, elate, Helpless, must fall before the blasts of Fate, Sunk on the earth, defac'd its lovely form, Unless your shelter ward th' impending storm. Our second Right-but needless here is caution, To keep that right inviolate's the fashion; Each man of sense has it so full before him, He'd die before he'd wrong it-'tis decorum. There was, indeed, in far less polish'd days, A time, when rough rude man had naughty ways, Would swagger, swear, get drunk, kick up a riot, Nay even thus invade a Lady's quiet. Now, thank our stars! those Gothic times are fled; Now, well-bred men-and you are all well-bred- Most justly think (and we are much the gainers) Such conduct neither spirit, wit, nor manners. For Right the third, our last, our best, our dearest, That right to fluttering female hearts the nearest; Which even the Rights of Kings, in low prostration, Most humbly own-'tis dear, dear admiration! In that blest sphere alone we live and move; There taste that life of life-immortal love. Smiles, glances, sighs, tears, fits, flirtations, airs; 'Gainst such an host what flinty savage dares, When awful Beauty joins with all her charms- Who is so rash as rise in rebel arms? But truce with kings, and truce with constitutions, With bloody armaments and revolutions; Let Majesty your first attention summon, Ah! ça ira! The Majesty of Woman! (Note: "Ça ira" is actually French for "It'll be fine, or it will go on" and is an emblematic freedom song of the French Revolution, first heard in May of 1790, and was embraced by other countries in this time of revolution.) 5

6 Auld Lang Syne Auld Lang Syne Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And days o auld lang syne! For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne, We ll tak a cup o kindness yet For auld lang syne! We twa hae run about the braes, And pu d the gowans fine, But we ve wander d mony a weary foot Sin auld lang syne. We twa hae paidl t in the burn Frae morning sun till dine, But seas between us braid hae roar d Sin auld lang syne. And there s a hand, my trusty fiere, And gie s a hand o thine, And we ll tak a right guid willie-waught For auld lang syne! And surely ye ll be your pint stoup, And surely I ll be mine! And we ll tak a cup o kindness yet For auld lang syne! Old Long Since (Times Gone By) Should old acquaintances be forgotten, And never brought to mind? Should old acquaintances be forgotten, And days of long ago! For times gone by, my dear For times gone by, We will take a cup of kindness yet For times gone by. We two have run about the hillsides And pulled the daisies fine, But we have wandered many a weary foot For times gone by. We two have paddled (waded) in the stream From noon until dinner time, But seas between us broad have roared Since times gone by. And there is a hand, my trusty friend, And give us a hand of yours, And we will take a goodwill drink (of ale) For times gone by! And surely you will pay for your pint, And surely I will pay for mine! And we will take a cup of kindness yet For times gone by! Good Luck to Everyone. Aye! 6