LL-L: "Songs" LOWLANDS-L, 06.FEB.2000 (06) [E/S]

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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk]
Subject: "Songs"

> From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
> Subject: Songs

> a children's song.  However, I suppose this happens mostly in
> non-Francophone
> countries where people don't really understand the meaning of the
> song and think
> the melody is perfect for a children's ditty.

We had this problem with our music teacher at school (who was, I suppose,
from Edinburgh or some such urban setting), who imagined that all Burns
songs were perfect for us Scots-speaking children to sing, and was
frustrated by Burns's polite version of "Green Growes the Rashes", never
being able to fathom why it always made the girls blush and the boys giggle,
or why she couldn't get us to explain it. In case anybody's still wondering
what this phrase has to do with the rest of the song, here's an unrefined
rustic version from an 1776 collection that makes it perfectly clear. It's
the sort of thing that I suppose could well be sung by a young couple in
front of their families in those days - for entertainment/educational
purposes only, of course!

GREEN GROWES THE RASHES

Peggy:
Ma Jocky blythe, for what thoo's duin
  There is nae help nor mendin, O!
For thoo has jogged me oot o tuin
  For aa thy fain pretendin, O!
    Ma mither sees a change on me
      For ma complexion dashes, O!
    An this, alace, haes been wi thee
      Sae late amang the rashes, O!

Jocky:
Ma Peggy, what A'v said A'll dae,
 Ti free thee fae her scoulin, O!
Come then an lat us buckle tae,
  Nae langer lat's be foolin, O!
    For her content, A'll instant wed,
      Since thy complexion dashes, O!
    An then we'll try a feather bed,
      It's safter than the rashes, O!

Peggy:
Then, Jocky, since thy luive's sae true,
  Lat mither scoul, A'm aesy, O!
Sae lang's A leeve A ne'er shall rue
  For what I've duin ti please thee, O!
    An thare's ma haun, A's ne'er complain;
      Oh! weel's me on the rashes, O!
    Whane'er thoo likes I'll dae't again,
      An A fig for aa their clashes, O!

blythe - cheerful
thoo's - thou hast
duin - done
jog - to bump, nudge
jog oot o tune - to make a mistake in attempting the rhythm or withdrawal
method (I think? This phrase does occur in other songs)
alace - alas
rashes - rushes
scoulin - scowling/frowning
buckle tae (sp - "ti"?) - buckle to (i.e. get married)
nae langer - no longer
dashes - changes in appearance (e.g. markings, lustre)
safter - softer
luive - love
mither - mother
haun - hand
A's - I shall
weel's me - "well is me" (opposite of "woe is me")
clash - gossiping

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
http://www.fleimin.demon.co.uk

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