Love songs at Burns Supper

Last Friday evening (January 26th), I was invited to attend another Burns Supper at St. Simon's church. It was the second Burns Supper that I attended within a week, but neither of the two fell on the official date for Burns Supper (which should be January 25th every year).

Though we didn't have live bagpipe music at the entry of the Haggis, there was a recorded piece of such music. As usual, there were some traditional Scottish songs during the supper. I don't know whether these songs were composed by Robert Burns, but I do know that they are very touching in their simplicity. Here are two of them:

Red, Red Rose

O, my luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June,
O, my luve's like a melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.
As fair as thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my dear
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear.
Till a' the seas gang dry.
And I will luve thee still, my dear
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun.
O! I will luve thee still, my dear
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

Tho' it were ten thousand mile, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile, my luve,
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

The Banks o'Doon

Ye banks and braes o'Bonnie Doon
How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair?
How can ye chant, ye little birds?
And I sae weary, fu' o' care!

Thou'll break my heart, thou warbling bird,
That wantons thro' the flowering throne,
Thou minds me o' departed joys,
Departed never to return.

Aft hae I rov'd by Bonnie Doon
To see the rose and woodbine twine,
And ilka bird sang o' its luve,
As fondly sae did I o' mine.

Wi' lichtsom heart I pu'd a rose,
Fu' sweet upon its thorny tree!
And my fause lover staw my rose,
But ah! He left the thorn wi' me.