Submitted as a guest post to Geneabloggers.
Across the world, thousands of people with Scottish Heritage celebrate the birth of the Scottish Poet Robbie Burns on 25 January. Traditionally there is a Burns Supper of Haggis, Neep and Tatties to celebrate the event.
The formal supper starts with a welcome and announcements then 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 thankit.
- 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.
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.
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.
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!
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.
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?
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!
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.
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!
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and 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.
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
- CHORUS
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.
- CHORUS
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.
- CHORUS
and gie’s a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.
- CHORUS