It’s January 25th in Scotland so as I write this here in Canada I can now say' Happy Rabbie Burns' day.
Liz was quick to get on the blower to let me know that a friend had sent her the poem by Burns called “Leezie Lindsay”. My writing partner was quick to point out –“I don’t suppose Burns has immortalized anyone called Pamela!! Well no, that’s quite true but I was called “Jamie” in high school as my maiden name was James. And as the Jamie in Jamie Tremain I did find a song by Burns called “Jamie, come try me”.
Chorus.—Jamie, come try me,
Jamie, come try me,
If thou would win my love,
Jamie, come try me.
IF thou should ask my love, 5
Could I deny thee?
If thou would win my love,
Jamie, come try me!
Jamie, come try me, &c.
If thou should kiss me, love, 10
Wha could espy thee?
If thou wad be my love,
Jamie, come try me!
Jamie, come try me, &c.
Leezie Lindsay
by Robert Burns
Will ye gang to the Heilands Leezie Lindsay
Will ye gang to the Heilands wi' me
Will ye gang to the Heilands Leezie Lindsay
My bride and my darling to be
To gang to the Heilands wi' you, Sir,
I dinna ken how that may be
For I kennae the land that ye live in
For ken I the lad I'm gaun wi'
Leezie, lass ye maun ken little,
If sae ye dinna ken me
For my name is Lord Ronald Macdonald
A Chieftain o' high degree
She has kilted her coat o' green satin,
She has kilted them up to the knee,
An she's aff wi' Lord Ronald Macdonald
His bride and his darling to be .
Many lovely lasses influenced Burns work, none more than his mother Agnes Broun. As Agnes is my middle name I feel immortalized as the lovely Clarinda. (Read below)
Robert Burns was born on 25th January 1759 and, naturally enough, the first of the fair sex to enter his life was his mother - Agnes Broun. It was from Agnes that Robert inherited his love of songs and rhyme as she would sing to him when he was nocht but a bairn on her knee. She had learned these songs while working in the fields as well as at the threshing. Many of her songs were learned from Will Nelson, her old boyfriend, singing them after him line by line until she got the tune right and knew all of the verses.
During Robert's sojourn to Edinburgh in 1787, he met with Mrs. Agnes Craig or McLehose, the daughter of a Glasgow surgeon and the wife of James McLehose, a writer in Glasgow. She was born in the same year as Burns and was living in Edinburgh with her two surviving children, having been deserted by her husband in 1780. They corresponded as 'Sylvander' and 'Clarinda' and their writings to one another could fill a volume on their own. These letters were written in impeccable English grammar and the use of the English language is outstanding. Some of Burns' finest songs were written with Clarinda in mind, the best known being -
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, and then for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee,
Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me;
Dark despair around benights me.
You can just call me ‘Clarinda'
Slainte,
Pam Clarinda Blance
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