Interesting Fact of the Day! No. 10 - Rabbie Burns

Well, it's Burn's Night the nicht. So here's a fact or two about the bard...

He penned his first verse at 15.

There's a statue of Robert Burns in Central Park.

Auld Lang Syne' was originally set to a different tune but the publisher rejected it so Burns set it to the one commonly sung today, which the Japanese claim as their tune.

If you need some tips for your Burn's supper, here's a few tips from the beeb.

I'll leave you with one of his poems called "Ae Fond Kiss, and Then We Sever". He wrote this in 1791. Oh yeh, if you get the chance it's better when you read it aloud...

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.
Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me;
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy,
Naething could resist my Nancy:
But to see her was to love her;
Love but her, and love for ever.
Had we never lov'd sae kindly,
Had we never lov'd sae blindly,
Never met-or never parted,
We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweeli alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.