GeneD
Senior Member
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- Mar 18, 2017
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Could you please help me to understand some places in this poem by R. Burns? I've typed in bold the English equivalents for the Scottish words (underlined) as I understand them. Have I got them right?
Ye Jacobites by name, give an ear, give an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name, give an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name,
Your fautes (faults) I will proclaim,
Your doctrines I maun ('m going to) blame, you shall hear, you shall hear
Your doctrines I maun blame, you shall hear.
What is Right, and What is Wrang (Wrong), by the law, by the law?
What is Right and what is Wrang by the law?
What is Right, and what is Wrang?
A weak arm and a strang (strong),
A short sword, and a lang (long), for to draw, for to draw
A short sword, and a lang, for to draw.
What makes heroic strife, famed afar, famed afar?
What makes heroic strife famed afar?
What makes heroic strife?
To whet th' (the?) assassin's knife,
Or haunt a Parent's life, wi' (with) bluidy (bloody) war?
Then let your schemes alone, in the state, in the state,
Then let your schemes alone in the state.
So let your schemes alone,
Adore the rising sun,
And leave a man undone, to his fate, to his fate.
And leave a man undone, to his fate.
And I'm not sure I understand what "haunt a parent's life" means. Does it mean that the "parent's life" was going to be haunted by the fear for his/her son's safety?
By the way, is there an error in the name of the thread? Should I have written "understanding of some words"? And is there a way to change names of threads?
Ye Jacobites by name, give an ear, give an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name, give an ear,
Ye Jacobites by name,
Your fautes (faults) I will proclaim,
Your doctrines I maun ('m going to) blame, you shall hear, you shall hear
Your doctrines I maun blame, you shall hear.
What is Right, and What is Wrang (Wrong), by the law, by the law?
What is Right and what is Wrang by the law?
What is Right, and what is Wrang?
A weak arm and a strang (strong),
A short sword, and a lang (long), for to draw, for to draw
A short sword, and a lang, for to draw.
What makes heroic strife, famed afar, famed afar?
What makes heroic strife famed afar?
What makes heroic strife?
To whet th' (the?) assassin's knife,
Or haunt a Parent's life, wi' (with) bluidy (bloody) war?
Then let your schemes alone, in the state, in the state,
Then let your schemes alone in the state.
So let your schemes alone,
Adore the rising sun,
And leave a man undone, to his fate, to his fate.
And leave a man undone, to his fate.
And I'm not sure I understand what "haunt a parent's life" means. Does it mean that the "parent's life" was going to be haunted by the fear for his/her son's safety?
By the way, is there an error in the name of the thread? Should I have written "understanding of some words"? And is there a way to change names of threads?
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