Happy Rabbie Burns Day: Burns Night quotes, poems and facts about Robert Burns
Burns Night is upon us and you know what that means – it’s almost time to have some haggis, a wee dram, an’ ah few lovely tatties.
Burns Night is the celebration of Robert Burns’ life and poetry, and it takes place every year on 25 January.
The tradition started shortly after Burns’ death, when his friends made a pact to celebrate his life every year on 21 July – the date of his death – but over the years it became tradition to celebrate Burns Night on what would have been his birthday.
If you want to get in on the festivities when we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about Rabbie Burns and some classic quotes of his.
Rabbie Burns quotes and poem extracts
Burns Night celebrations will usually kick-off with the host saying a few words, and sometimes reciting Burns’ Selkirk Grace.
The Selkirk Grace, which is written in the Scottish dialect, as many of Burns’ poems were, goes like this:
‘Some hae meat an canna eat
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.’
Other famous quotes of Burns’ include:
‘I pick my favourite quotations and store them in my mind as ready armour,
offensive or defensive,
amid the struggle of this turbulent existence.’
‘As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.’
‘Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae farewell, alas, forever!’
‘But to see her was to love her,
love but her, and love her forever.’
‘A Man’s a Man for a’ that.’
‘Kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious,
O’er a’ the ills o’ life victorious.’
‘Ye Jacobites by name, give an ear, give an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name, give an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name,
Your fautes I will proclaim,
Your doctrines I maun blame, you shall hear.’
‘The best laid schemes o’ mice and men
Gang aft a-gley.’
Who was Robert Burns?
Robert (aka Rabbie) Burns was born 25 January 1759 and died in Dumfries age 37. He is considered to be the national poet of Scotland.
He’s seen as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death, he became a lasting Scottish cultural icon.
His last name was originally spelt Burnes, and he penned his first poem at the age of 15.
During his 37 years, he fathered 12 children – nine to his wife Jean Armour.
There are more statues, monuments and memorials dedicated to Robert Burns than any other non-religious figure, after Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus.
You can visit his body at the Burns Mausoleum in St Michael’s Churchyard, Dumfries.
Burns Night suppers range from formal to casual, and often they include food, drink, traditional Scottish dancing and poetry recitals.
A typical Burns night menu usually includes haggis, tatties (potatoes), neeps (mashed turnips), and a desert of whiskey trifle.
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