| Poet Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Scotland (1759). Today we sing "Auld Lang Sine," which means "old long since," or "the good old days," written by Robert Burns in 1788. The son of a poor farmer, he followed his father's example and spent the first half of his life engaged in the back-breaking labor of pre-modern farming. People in his village thought he was odd because he always carried a book, and they disapproved when they saw him reading as he drove his wagon slowly along the road. He got into trouble with the family of a girl named Jean Armour, who had become pregnant. He'd left another woman after she had become pregnant, but he loved Armour and didn't want her to suffer the indignities of being an unwed mother. Burns pursued a career as a poet and became known for his conversational poems about Scottish life in books like Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786). The last years of Burns' life were devoted to penning great poetic masterpieces such as The Lea Rig, Tam O'Shanter and a Red, Red Rose. He died aged 37 of heart disease exacerbated by the hard manual work he undertook when he was young. His death occurred on the same day as his wife Jean gave birth to his last son, Maxwell. On the day of his burial more than 10,000 people came to watch and pay their respects. However, his popularity then was nothing compared to the heights it has reached since. On the anniversary of his birth (25th Jan), Scots both at home and abroad celebrate Robert Burns with a supper, where they address the haggis, the ladies and whisky. A celebration which would undoubtedly make him proud. The song "Auld Lang Sine," which we sing to herald in the New Year, meansch means "old long since," or "the good old days," written by Robert Burns in 1788. |
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| Rabbie Burns |