Address to a Haggis

By Rabbie Burns

Address to a Haggis is Robert Burn's famous Poem that is said at all Burns Suppers which are celebrated not only throughout Fife and Scotland, but around the world. If you live in North America or Canada you can have American made Award Winning Haggis shipped to you direct from USA. Do try it!

By the way, if YOU know a Scottish Poem that you would like to be included on this site, or indeed if you have written one, why not submit your contribution HERE, so people from around the world can enjoy it.

It is, of course, brought to the table to the sound of the pipes.

Of course, as well as "Address to A Haggis", Burns wrote many other poems and songs, such as "Address To A Mouse" and one that my Mother recited to me when I had toothache, "Address To The Toothache". But he also wrote love poems and songs such as "Mary Morrison" and the more famous "My Love is Like a Red Red Rose". But perhaps the most famous of all is "Auld Lang Syne", sung around the world every New Year. You many not know what the words mean, but here is my attempt at a translation. He also paraphrased some of the Psalms - here is Psalm 1.

If most of Burns work confuses you - then there is a Book available with translations not only of this poem but many of his works. It is: The Best of Robert Burns: In English

Rabbie Burns

He was born in Ayr on the west coast of Scotland, and there is statue of him in St George's Square in Glasgow.

Haggis

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 wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill
Your hudies 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.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut ye up wi' ready slight
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reeking, 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;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit!' hums.

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 fecl;ess as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash
His nieve a nit;
Tho' bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit.

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

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 gratfu' prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

So, feel free to try and make this haggis if you dare, but why not just go and buy one. May I remind you if you live in Canada or North America, you can order American-produced Award-winning haggis or New Vegetarian Haggis direct from the USA.

I Love The Lomonds, Cheeseboard, The Silver Trail to Crail , This Public Bar in Ladybank, A Friendly Fife Said "Hello", They walked all the way from Glasgow, Aberdour Greets Me Kindly, A Glimpse of Gold in Kirkcaldy, Kingskettle Cemetery, The Bonnie Bonnie Sand of St Andrews Bay, Thomas Joseph Harris, The Tay Bridge Disaster, Sojourn in St Andrews, When I walked to Leven, I should have played for Ladybank Violet, The Old Scottish Stone, Collessie, The Kingdom of Fife, Lady Mary Ann, The Village of Tayport & its Surroundings, Loch Leven, Grace Before Dinner, Holy Willie's Prayer, Will Ye No' Come Back Again, The Rights of Woman, Scots Wha Hae, Tam o' Shanter, The Star o' Rabbie Burns, Robert Burns, Ae Fond Kiss, Ballade of the Royal Game of Golf, A Man's a Man for A' That, To A Louse, Cuddle Doon, Scotch Drink

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