Rabbie Burns remembered

T HOUSANDS of people the world over gather together every January 25 to celebrate the birth of a simple farm lad from Ayrshire, in Scotland. 246 years ago Robert Burns came into the world with nothing and left it all too soon… again with nothing. However, he left behind a great treasure, a legacy of poetry and songs that has never been surpassed. But was it possible, for this young man to have had the vision, the perception, the understanding of life that is still applicable to people all over the world? Especially when the world of his time was a very insular one indeed, with neither radio nor television to relate the news and events of five miles away never mind 5,000 miles away. This is where his true genius lies, in his universality. He ranks with the great names like Beethoven and Shakespeare, but whilst it could be said that these two grand masters appeal to the sophis- ticated, Burns appeals to both intellectuals and working class people the world over. A life Burns was born in Alloway, in Ayrshire, on January 25, 1759, the oldest of seven children and the family lived in a house their father built. Around the fire of an evening, Burns learned many traditional ballads and folk tales of ghosts and devils, goblins and witches, giants and dragons and thus the seeds of his imagination were cultivated. His father was a farmer and Burns joined his father in the fields, toiling from first light until dusk. Burns took a surprising collection of books with him, including Homer, Shakespeare, Pope and, of course, his bible. These he read voraciously, whenever they would stop for a bite to eat or a brief respite from the wrath of the elements. He had a great hunger for knowledge and was charged with emotion, awareness and sensitivity. In his mid-teens two great forces erupted within him, love of the lassies and a love of poetry. After the death of Burn’s father in 1784, he and his brother leased a farm but bad weather caused the loss of their crop. However, it was in this period of adversity that his literary talents flourished and in the space of 15 months, the bulk of his remarkable poems were produced. He fell in love with Jean Armour and though he gave her a certificate of marriage that was acceptable under Scot’s law, her father tore it up and insisted that they part, even though Jean gave birth to twins. Burns decided to emigrate to the West Indies, and a friend of his, Gavin Hamilton, suggested that he publish some of his poetry to raise his fare. Thus the Kilmarnock edition of his poems was published and 600 copies were sold and a further edition prepared and Burns received the sum of £20. During this time he renewed a friendship with Mary Campbell (Highland Mary) and they had decided to marry when Mary suddenly died. Burns wrote of their love:- Wi mony a vow and locked embrace, oor parting was fu tender And pledging aft to meet again, we tore ourselves asunder But oh fell deaths untimely frost that nipt my flower sae early Now greens the seed an caulds the clay that wraps my highland Mary Oh pale pale now those rosy lips that I hae kissed sae fondly And closed for e’er the sparkling glance that dwelt on me sae kindly And mouldering now in silent dew that heart that loved me dearly But still within my bosom’s care shall live my highland Mary…… Burns was persuaded to go to Edinburgh where he was introduced into society as the lion of the season and the Edinburgh edition of his poems was published. However, he was soon dropped from society when the next thing of interest came along. He then had a relationship with Agnes MacAchose and he wrote for her, what for me is his most beautiful love song Ae Fond Kiss, once described as pain and pleasure distilled in the same drop. Here are just a few lines:- Ae fond kiss and then we sever, ae fond kiss and then forever Deep in heart wrung tears I’ll pledge thee Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee Had we never loved sae kindly, had we never loved sae blindly Never met nor never parted we would ne’r be broken hearted But to see her was to love her, love but her and love forever Burns soon returned to Ayrshire, reunited with Jean Armour and set up house with her. She presented him with twins once more, but both girls died. In 1791 he become a Dumfries exciseman and became occupied with a labour of love for which he received no payment, the provision of songs for the Scottish Musical Museum. Burns wrote over 200 songs, many of 22 The immortal Robert Burns RMT financial wizard Allan Craig toasted the life of the great Scottish bard at a Burns night earlier this year. Below is an extract. ALLAN CRAIG: Toasts Robbie Burns Photos: Sarah Evans Bridge McFarland S O L I C I T O R S Have you got a problem you need legal help with? As well as offering expertise in a wide range of subjects we have specialists in employment law, personal injury, accidents at sea, diver’s claims and clinical negligence claims Home visits and telephone appointments can be arranged where appropriate 19 South St. Mary's Gate Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 1JE Tel. 01472 311711 www.bridgemcfarland.co.uk e-mail jrb@bmcf.co.uk 23 which he wrote the music to, others he restructured and saved from extinction. He wrote his epic Tam O’Shanter in one day. Freedom Burns lived through two revolutions and was greatly influenced by them. The American revolution started when he was 16, and the storming of the Bastille in Paris took place in his 30th year. Burns detested all manner of cruelty and oppression as well as the arrogance of privilege and wealth. He became involved with political groups at a time when it was dangerous to do so. Burns wrote poems to freedom and here are a few remarkable lines:- Here’s freedom to them that would read Here’s freedom to them that would write There’s nane ever feared that the truth should be heard Than them that the truth would indite In a few lines he encapsulates everything and who could argue that it is just as relevant today as 250 years ago. Tragically, he fell victim to rheumatism which affected his heart and Burns died in direst poverty at just 37 years old. He received a grandiose funeral on the very day his son Maxwell was born. So there we are, a man from such humble beginnings who saw very little of his own country, never mind the world at large, yet he became not only Scotland’s bard, but the world’s poet. His song Auld Lang Syne is an interna- tional anthem of the world. He was one of the first to appreciate the subjugation of women, and that they had rights too, and was well ahead of his time. While Europe’s eye is fixed on mighty things The fate o Empires an the fall o Kings While quacks of state much each produce his plan And even children lisp the rights o man Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention The rights o women merits some attention His satires, too, are a bitter exposure of humbug, hypocrisy and oppression. He turned his ire against the power of the Church, the wealthy and the government, who tended to regard a man by his financial standing, Burns wrote: Then let us pray that come it may for a’ that That sense and worth o’er a’ the earth Shall win the victory for a’ that For a’ that and a’ that its comin yet for a’ that That man tae man the world o’er Shall Brothers be for a’ that. Literary experts have endeavoured to dissect Burn’s work. He simply took the rough homespun language and turned it into a thing of eternal beauty. He wrote simply from the heart. His songs speak of friendship and love, of country and of fellow human beings with simplicity and sincerity. So let the experts debate and dissect his magical lines: we whose heritage they are, are content to accept the gift, to read and sing and enjoy. BOB CROW: meets Dave Brooks, the Jimmy Hendrix of the bagpipes.