Long Frae Poems

“Auld Lang Syne” - the most-sung New Year's Eve song

Courtesy Robert Burns
circa  (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796)
the National Bard,
Bard of Ayrshire
and the Ploughman Poet.

Two hundred sixty one orbitz elapsed
since brief existence of...

Read More

Auld Lange Syne
by Robert Burns
modern English translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days for which we pine?

For times we shared, my darling,
Days passed, once...

Read More

Devonshire tea with Peter an' Beryl, beware,
it's no the fact that Peter disnae care.
But 88 years doon the track o' life,
an' 84 years fur Beryl, Peter's carefree wife.

Ma Bonny wife Gillian an' this Auld Yin,
oot...

Read More

Ah had a aulder bruther whin ah wis wee,
ah wis five then an' he -wis nine yea see.
A tendid tae follow him aboot,
bit bein' aulder he widnae care a hoot.

Aw jings a remember wan day...

Read More

Sound of a song softly sung rose in the air and through windows
Barred to let air and light in and little else.
A lament sung in Gaelic tongue foreign to ears used to French,
But its meaning...

Read More

Canny remember this Lass's name,
but fur the poem's sake let's assume she's Jane.
'Jane ' this per wee soul had fingers lighter than a blidy feather,
aw things within her sicht yea had tae tether.

Wartime is no...

Read More

Gang awa frae tha Glen
Tae a fearsome place;
Where tha darkened souls
Hae na gleemps o’grace.
Where tha work must fit
A new tongue and race.
Gang awa frae tha Glen for a wheel.

“Tis for certs He has ca’d
Ye, and...

Read More

A luv ma life sae full o' joy,
I keep ma interests at full employ.
Each day fur me is sic' delight,
every day, aw' day an' ivery night.

I go tae bed an' lay doon ma heid,
aye richt...

Read More

Wee, wee rid rid coated thing
tae ma hert sic joy yea bring.
Wae elegance an' tender charm,
ma racin' hert yea sae disarm.

Yea hang there among yer kind,
Bright an' braw but sae refined.
Ma wee rid rid coated...

Read More

    Tae A Mouse   
      (Whit wid Robert Burns say!)

Ha’ where ye gon ye cowrin feartie
Your impudence protects you sairly
I canna say but ye strut...

Read More

Written in Scottish dialect.

Jack, Bernard and John, the Bandit Kings,
Hae handicaps wae too high.
Each o’ them score four points a hole,
Ah canna tell ye a lie!

Me, ah’m Rabbie, the bard o’ the course;
Ah’m lucky tae...

Read More

Nay greet for me, I yet live   
ne'er was I a bairn to ye
mind me ere  I once were    
when drouthy neibors met      ...

Read More

Tak oor grund from beneath oor hurdies 

Burn oor birches aside the lough, 

Besmirch hard fecht fur freedom, 

Dictating oor days tae come, 

No from the pint o a gun, 

Fae laws an promises ...

Read More

Have pity on the Scott’s ruled 
By the Brexit voting sassenach
Who don’t seem to understand 
We too want out country back.
Arbroath Smokies for breakfast
Porridge  seasoned with salt
Kedgeree, Haggis, neaps and tastes
With wee drams of...

Read More

Ma boatie sailed ower the mist covered sea,
I searched an sought for your hidden shore,
Shrouded in mist frae ma searching eye.
You left in a red mist o yer makin,
Stormin aff afore ah could stoap yer...

Read More

When yins ye lou are taken awa ,
forever gang intae eternity,
ne,er will ye see them agin,
as eternity is far frae hame.
aye maybes yell see them float by,
in a clear day o sky,
ye can talk tae...

Read More

This is based on a story about David 'Deacon' Brown The Open Golf Champion of 1886 at
Musselburgh, Scotland.





Davy wis a genius

at climbin' up an' doon.

A chimney sweep o' sure repute

frae Musselburgh Toon.



He won The British...

Read More

Sailin doon the watter,
Frae Glesga tae Dunoon,
Wae the paddles at thur fullest,
We'd get ther awfy soon,

The music played as we stood on deck,
An the sights so much tae see,
Doon past Dumbarton Castle,
A magic sight tae...

Read More

Caledonia her laund is oor laund,
Caledonia her laund is ma laund
A laund wherr ithers ur walcome,
As we haud oot oor hand
In friendship an tak ye aw in,
As brithers fur aw that.

Caledonia we hailse you foriver,
Caledonia...

Read More

The battles ower ,smoke settles ower the moor,
Clans are broken flying aff tae the hills.
Redcoated sodjers mingle with red Heilan blude,
Killing the wounded in Drumossie mud.
Oor Prince has fled leaving dreams in the dust,
Of a...

Read More

Whit'll ye dae when the Muslims come
If they bring thur minarets,mosques and imams
An' ower the city sound the muezzins' prayer alarms
An' they mak great play o' daein' Ramadan
An' profit frae sellin liquor they themselves ban
Glesga,whit'll...

Read More

When ah sairly look doon frae up oan high
Frae ma cloud warmed dookit in the azure sky
At aw the drunken bloated bletherums
Wha meet fur ma birthday's kilted getherums
Tae feast sae dearly oan neeps an' tatties
Wi'...

Read More

Hawk-teuchin   -   spitting up phlegm
Nimmer            -   dinner
Gundie-guts     -   fat slobs
Mickle-moud  ...

Read More

Sa sit an sip a dram wi me
We'll do again those  grand ol days
Sa lately hidin' in a haze
What was the cause of such a daze
Sa soon f'got sa soon fo'gave
It wa' na nuff...

Read More

Nigh on ninescore year hae I
Preside o'er thaes city faer
But i' shoundna be me on thaes stule
In Mad King Gaerge's Squaer

In life a saemple claerk o' law 
Who frae Edinburrah hael
'nd 's kent tae woo...

Read More