Robert Burns, the National Bard of Scotland, was born on 25 Jan 1759, the son of an Ayrshire cottar; a cottage tenant. Between 1784 and 1788, whilst Burns was working as a farm-labourer he wrote much of his best poetry, including "Halloween", "The Cotter's Saturday Night" and the skilful satires "Death and Dr Hornbrook" and "Holy Willie's Prayer".
In 1786 the "Kilmarnock" edition of Robert Burns' early poems brought him to the attention of literary Scotland and the second edition gave him enough financial security to marry his mistress Jean Armour. The couple settled to a hard life in Ellisland with their four children, and to supplement their meagre income, Burns took a job as an excise man (customs officer).
From 1787, Burns concentrated on songwriting, substantially contributing to James Johnson's "The Scots Musical Museum", including "Auld Lang Syne" and "A Red, Red Rose". On 21st July 1796, at the age of 37, he died, his health undermined by rheumatic fever.
The Scots Leid
Scots is still the living language of many Scottish people and has its own unique grammatical constructions and vocabulary. It is closely linked to English, Flemish, Dutch, Afrikaans and the Frisian and Saxon dialects of German. Scots has two main dialects; Lallans, spoken in the Scottish Borders, the dialect Burns wrote in; and Doric, spoken in North-East Scotland.
Below are two examples of Scots: The Schooling Act of 1496 which made children's education compulsory, and a short extract from Mang Howes an Knowes; the story of an excursion in the Border country written in 1914. The 500 years which separate the two examples of the language have made little difference to it and both are easily understood by Scots speakers.
1496, Scuilin Act
It is staute and ordanit throw all the realme that al barronis and frehaldaris that ar of substance put thair eldest sonnis and airis to the sculis fra thai be aucht or nyne yeiris of age...
And quhat baroune or frehalder of substance that haldis nocht his sone at the sculis as said is haifand na lauchfull essoyne bot failyeis heirin fra knawledge may be gottin thairof he sall pay to the king the soume of xx pounds.
Mang Howes an Knowes
For aa that the sun, hoisin itsel i the lift owreheed, thraetent an efter-heat that wad be fit ti muzz folk, the forenuin air was caller an clear, an stoor was awanteen whan A tuik ti the lang road that rins doon throwe Newtoon an bye the Dryburgh loaneen on ti Bosells Green.
Everly, the road was thrang wui droves o nowt-aa keinds, untellin-kye an tiups an keilies an yowes, mixty- maxty, rowtin an mehhin an blehhin; doddies an starks an queys an stots an gimmers an hoggies an grumphies an guissies-wui nurrin teikes snackin an yowfin an boochin at ther cluits; bit fient a steekin bull ti yoke on ov a body, for the bease war mensefih, an ilka herd hed a bleithe word i the byegangeen.
Still an on, thir billies hed a sair hatter or they got the bruits weerd bye the cairts an hurlbarrihs an yirrint-vans an thing, that every-wee-bittie dunsht other i the strooshie. Faix, it was aa leike thon killeen-hoose brae at Mainchester, thonder (div ee kenn'd?); bit no a biggeen keind was there ti be seen, nor was there ony warden polis ti redd oot the bizz wui skeely maig.
Now, at lang last, the hinmaist doonfaa o the road brings ee oot richt at Bosells Green, an there the road pairts i twae. The maist feck o the hooses cooer coothy on the tae hand i the yeh straigglin street o Bosells, croonin the braeheeds hich abuin Tweed an forenent bieldy Dryburgh; an on the tother hand - the richt - the road wunds aboot the Green an makes up the brae.
A cood fain heh dwinglt, an daikert aboot in sleepery Bosells, bit A fair durstna, or thance A micht never heh gotten off the bit aa day. Bit afore A sterteet neice an cannie on the brae up atween the planteens, A cruikeet ma hoach an clappeet masel doon a meenit on ov a toggle bank, athort the Green, an luit ma een feast on the bonnie gerssy haugh - that weel sorteet an taen sic grand care o. For Bosells hes muckle mense o er Green!
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