Saturday 25 January 2014

25th JAN BURNS NIGHT !


Erik and Zak have agreed to don kilts and sporran's to celebrate Burns Night!


"We must address the Haggis " says Erik with confidence.


"Isn't that something your eat? " asks Zak in surprise
" Aye " says Erik, " A sheep's pluck minced with onion, oatmeal, suet and spices all in an animals stomach "
Zak feels a little ill but asks " What's a sheep's pluck? "
"It's a sheeps heart, liver and Lungs minced..."
"STOP !" says Zak quickly gulping in air " Don't tell me any more !"
"I'll start the address " says Erik giving Zak time to turn back to a normal colour!!


"
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 worthy 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."

Erik says with pride, he continues while Zak starts to feel better..

"His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O 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;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.


 "Me now !" says Zak lifting his chin and saying

Is there that owre his French ragout,
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?

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 bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!


Then together they recite

"
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle."

Then with a flourish they finish...

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!!!


" Have a great burns night " say Erik and Zak together.


"Let's go and have some dinner " says Erik " that's made me very hungry!"
" Alright " says Zak " Just don't mention that Haggis !"
Laughing Erik walks off with Zak to get some.......tatties and minced......beef !



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Below is the English translation of the Robbie Burns Poem addressing the Haggis.


Fair and full is your honest, jolly face,
Great chieftain of the sausage race!
Above them all you take your place,
Stomach, tripe, or intestines:
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm.

The groaning trencher there you fill,
Your buttocks like a distant hill,
Your pin would help to mend a mill
In time of need,
While through your pores the dews distill
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour wipe,
And cut you up with ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like any ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm steaming, rich!

Then spoon for spoon, the stretch and strive:
Devil take the hindmost, on they drive,
Till all their well swollen bellies by-and-by
Are bent like drums;
Then old head of the table, most like to burst,
'The grace!' hums.

s there that over his French ragout,
Or olio that would sicken a sow,
Or fricassee would make her vomit
With perfect disgust,
Looks down with sneering, scornful view
On such a dinner?

Poor devil! see him over his trash,
As feeble as a withered rush,
His thin legs a good whip-lash,
His fist a nut;
Through bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit.

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his ample fist a blade,
He'll make it whistle;
And legs, and arms, and heads will cut off
Like the heads of thistles.

You powers, who make mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill of fare,
Old Scotland wants no watery stuff,
That splashes in small wooden dishes;
But if you wish her grateful prayer,
Give her [Scotland] a Haggis!


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Still cannot find theboys clothes so a bit of a miss mash they are wearing, Zak's sporran is one of the girls shoulder bags ! And now the box of socks are missing!! 

24 comments:

  1. Those boys have definitely buried the box of clothes somewhere in the garden I suppose in the hope you will buy them some others.

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    1. They will have a long and chilly wait then! Because there were some new clothes in the box !!
      I may have to start knitting them some jumpers!

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  2. Hopefully just made it here before SS-R!

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  3. Aye, he had a way with words did Robbie Burns!
    The boys look great, but it's best not to think about the contents of a haggis, although it's LOVELY to eat....this has made me very hungry, time for supper!
    Happy Burns Night!!

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    1. I must say I am on Zak side and would not let a bite pass my lips!!
      Happy Burns Night to you too Sharon :)

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  4. A very appropiate post for today! My sister's husband is Scottish!
    I do enjoy a small portion of Haggis once or twice a year .....as long as it's not too spicey.

    Like how Eric and Zac have dressed for the occasion. (Where is Toby?) (Yes I noticed the use of one of the girl's shoulder bags before I read your words in the postscript. Rather inventive to say the least. )
    Hadn't realised that you too have a blackboard!

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    1. My sister lives up on the coast of Scotland in Cullen.
      Erik and Zak did their best to dress the part, Toby was still dressed as Harry Potter and there was no way he was putting on no skirt!!
      Yes we received our K&D blackboard this week after saying we wanted one after CnS and then completely forgetting to order it!!

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  5. According to Great Grandpa Frazer, if you think too much about the contents of the haggis, the only way to get it into your own stomach is with several wee drams before, one as the platter is piped in to table and one for every ten mouthfuls swallowed. Then, to make sure it remains in your stomach, several more must be taken for medicinal purposes. He reckoned no Scot alive actually liked it but there was much manly bravado around eating it - it is, after all, the worst sweepings after the slaughter of a sheep, the bits you couldn't sell easily and under normal circumstances, pre-Rabbie Burns, only the most desperate peasants ate it.
    Unfortunately, on Burns Nights of 1910 and 1913, this excuse for tossing back the Scotch led to an overnight stay at His Majesty's Pleasure after he proceeded to show the non-Scots inhabitants of Birkenhead what a Highlander wears, or doesn't wear, under the kilt. Not a usual mode of behaviour for a strict Presbyterian and all very unfortunate in 1913 in particular as it was the eve of my Granny's wedding.
    KEEP THOSE SKIRTS DOWN BOYS! You could end up imprisoned in Reuben's cage!

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    1. Your Great Grandpa Frazer sounds like a lovely man! and a true scot!! The boys were very tempted to show off their bu..rns but I told them they would have to eat a Haggis if they did! Erik was willing to try it but Zak ran off to hide !

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  6. Thanks boys - I no know something about the Burnsday!
    After thinking, this is a northern Islandthing, nothing for poor germans- I read a lot about haggies, Burns (and Left-driving-Haggis.)
    I aggree it seems „the recipe is not for the weak of constitution!“
    Then understand it as 'bäuerliche Schlachtresteverwertung' (and feels with GG Frazer)-
    we got something like this in germany as well, see:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stippgr%C3%BCtze.

    But we serve it without any poems and music. Great pity :)

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    1. Yes some music and poems would alway help..well until the drink hits!! :)

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  7. Ah, but Digne, you also serve it without the headache the next day, brought on by the compulsory drinking of copious quantities of whiskey and hearing the bagpipes in a fairly small hall or even a dining room. Now I love the pipes, but only outside - they are, after all, loud enough to call to the clans through the noise of battle - but in a dining room?! Too loud!
    GG Frazer, though loathing 'the haggis pudding,' drummed the idea that it was compulsory for exiled Scots living in England to eat it, at least on Burns Night, so firmly into the heads of his 13 offspring that we, two generations below him, were still forced to eat it by his daughter, my Granny Violet,despite the fact that she also hated it! I remember those under 18 being compelled to eat it up whilst the adults pushed it round their plates complaining that they'd eaten such a huge lunch that they couldn't possibly eat much this evening - oh the lies parents and grandparents sometimes tell!
    My wee highlander Gregor, Angus, first foots for us at New Year - he saves some poor male member of the family shivering outside waiting to bang on the door to carry coal, whiskey and bread across the threshold at midnight. Gregors are hardier than the men around here and it has saved us the huge cost of buying my husband or son the kilt, they come MUCH cheaper in Gregor size.

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    1. Ah! The Pipes the pipes are calling!!! From glen to glen and down the mountain side!!!
      Yes I can imagine the pipes being played in a hall would be very loud!! personally I would like to see them placed from the battlements of a Castle in the wilds of Scotland his kilt flapping in the breeze !
      I'm glad I do NOT have to eat any wee haggis!!
      I'd best hope Paul does not read that your Gregor Angus first foots or he'll make me put Toby or Zak outside to first foot instead of me sending him out the back as the clock starts to strike and welcoming him in as it finishes and he rings front door bell!! I wonder if I can get him to wear a kilt this year!! :))

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    2. That is supposed to say PLAYED...from the battlements.....

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    3. Thanks Jennan for these deliberations.
      I try my best to understand :)
      It seems nobody really like haggies, but have to eat them for tradition and to show the special membership.
      As I'm always thinking a bit forward, I would say it is good to be confronted with unusual meals. Perhaps there are times coming again, we are glad to know how to manage these parts of meat.

      I remember at the Kindergarten I'm working long time ago,
      one day there was something weird to eat. It was a soup, so far as I can see - small white bubbles are swimming in grey colored broth ... brrr.
      I got problems eating it - but I have to, because the children are watching me.
      (I never allowed them to complain about the meal. They must not eat much, but get a spoonful to taste it...)
      After the drama I was told it was 'Lungenhaschee'= 'hash of calf's lights' - I never even see it in my life before :)

      Aha - it's to loud!
      I thought so far they lure the men to fight with the pipes, not accompany a diner.
      Are there no pipes in an 'light' version for small rooms?

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  8. Thank you for a lovely Burns post - it seems to have been largely ignored by the media this year, which is a shame. After Christmas it's nice to have something to celebrate.
    We're having our haggis this evening - it's very popular here but it does need gravy which isn't traditional.

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    1. That is unusual ! They do normally have it on the news ! Maybe it's cut backs and they would not pay for their reporters and camera crews to go get sloshed on the tax payer!!! :)
      I hope you enjoy your Haggis, I'll be having a nice steak pie... with gravy .. :)

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  9. Well put together post there Dee, but I have no idea who could ever eat haggis...I would rather eat the contents of my Dyson Hoover :)

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    1. I've eaten Haggis many times, I actually .liked it! I've never eaten the contents of your Dyson, but then I've never tried the contents of my own Dyson either.....I wonder if I would like them, or whether they would be fattening like a haggis must be?
      However, I did once drink a big gulp of dirty washing up water.....not something I would repeat....or recommend though.

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  10. Is that with ior without gravy ? :))

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  11. The boys look lovely in their kilts! Thanks for the translation of the poem - I didn't know all of it. I quite like haggis - but then I like black pudding too - another food where the ingredients are best forgotten!

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    1. Thanks . Mm black pudding! I'm the person if there was a plane crash and everyone had to survive on eating bugs and things , would be the first to die and be used for dinner !! :0

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  12. Wonderful post Dee, your boys are very handsome in their kilts! :)

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