Robert Burns: Do you know the Scots words in his drunken epic Tam O Shanter?
Described as a “great carnival of verse”, Tam O Shanter has been named as the favourite Burns poem among Scots in the past. Both funny and full of social comment, it also contains an unforgettable line from the Bard who at the time of writing was involved in love affair and had just come through a spell of bad health.
"But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white--then melts for ever".
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Hide AdThe poem is also loaded with some great Scots words as he describes his fraught journey home when he passes a ruined kirk, witnesses a black mass and is then chased home, his poor horse losing its tail in a fine symbol of castration.
Many of the words may seem far out of reach for the modern reader but even if you don’t know them, perhaps you would just like to know them and become more familiar with the language of much of Burns’ work.
Here we look at the Scots words that helped to express so vividly this rather wild night out.
Chapmen billies
When chapmen billies leave the street
Translation: Peddlar lads
Drouthy
And drouthy neibors, neibors meet
Translation:Thirsty
Nappy
While we sit bousing at the nappy
Translation: Strong beer
Fou
And getting fou and unco happy
Translation: drunk
Unco happy
And getting fou and unco happy
Translation: very drunk
Skellum
She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum,
Translation: A rogue
Blellum
A blethering, blustering, drunken blellum
Translation: A blether
Siller
Thou sat as lang as thou had siller
Translation: Silver, money
Naig
That every naig was ca'd a shoe on
Translation: Horse
Skelpit On
Tam skelpit on thro' dub and mire
Translaton: hurried or raced on
Smoor’d
Whare, in the snaw, the chapman smoor'd
Translation: smothered or suffocated
Winnock-bunker,
A winnock-bunker in the east/There sat auld Nick, in shape o' beast
Translation: A window seat
Towzie tyke
A towzie tyke, black, grim, and large
Translation: A shaggy dog
Vauntie
It was her best, and she was vauntie
Translation: Proud
MirkOr catch'd wi' warlocks in the mirk
Translation: Darkness
Tam o Shanter was named as Scots’ favourite Burns poem in a 2012 poll.
Thanks to Dr Rhona Alcorn, CEO of Scottish Language Dictionaries, for the translations.
An online Dictionary of the Scots Language can be viewed here.
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