Robert Burns has been one of my favorite poets since my boyhood. These are my translations of some of his best Scots dialect poems, or more accurately, modernizations.
These modernizations of Robert Burns' Scottish dialect poems are marvellous and help, in my view, to bring his work to a wider audience - which, of course, he deserves because he's such a terrific poet and frequently gives voice to the meaningful concerns of most ordinary people. And that's his great gift! Just look at how relatable and how deceptively simple 'A Red, Red Rose' is, and yet it can speak to almost all the lovers on earth. Who would not wish to have written such a timeless masterpiece?
By the way, if any reader wants to read more about Burns - his life and times- I would recommend, The Bard: Robert Burns, A Bio by Robert Crawford.
The main goal of my translations is to help great poets reach more readers by rendering their work in modern English. My modernizations of these Burns poems have been taught in classes, adopted by Burns clubs, and even published by a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force!
That's fine, I grok the argument. I have Scottish ancestors, have visited Scotland and loved it, and have translated Burns, Dunbar and other Scottish poets. But I think what Burns wrote is close enough to English for a bright child to understand, and indeed I understood Burns other than a word here and there, when I read him as a boy. So for me it's a very colorful dialect of the English language. Peace.
The third paragraph (excerpted below) says there is no clear consensus: "Scots is sometimes regarded as a variety of English, though it has its own distinct dialects."
If you do an exact Google search using quotation marks for "Robert Burns" "Scots Dialect" you will get hundreds of pages, including pages published by The Guardian, Poetry Foundation, Robert Burns Societies, United Scottish Clans, The Scottican, etc.
This isn't a mistake or something I'm making up. I'm a Robert Burns fan and I've read over and over again in scholarly articles and books that he wrote in a Scots dialect of English. I understand that there are differences of opinion but the link you sent me says there is no consensus.
Given that there are no universally accepted criteria for distinguishing a language from a dialect, scholars and other interested parties often disagree about the linguistic, historical and social status of Scots, particularly its relationship to English.[12] Although a number of paradigms for distinguishing between languages and dialects exist, they often render contradictory results. Broad Scots is at one end of a bipolar linguistic continuum, with Scottish Standard English at the other.[13] Scots is sometimes regarded as a variety of English, though it has its own distinct dialects;[12]: 894 other scholars treat Scots as a distinct Germanic language, in the way that Norwegian is closely linked to but distinct from Danish.[12]: 894
The term "Scots dialect" has been used for many years to refer to the Scottish version of English in general. Whether it is a distinct language is still being debated, I believe. I'm content as long as readers get the bigger picture.
These modernizations of Robert Burns' Scottish dialect poems are marvellous and help, in my view, to bring his work to a wider audience - which, of course, he deserves because he's such a terrific poet and frequently gives voice to the meaningful concerns of most ordinary people. And that's his great gift! Just look at how relatable and how deceptively simple 'A Red, Red Rose' is, and yet it can speak to almost all the lovers on earth. Who would not wish to have written such a timeless masterpiece?
By the way, if any reader wants to read more about Burns - his life and times- I would recommend, The Bard: Robert Burns, A Bio by Robert Crawford.
The main goal of my translations is to help great poets reach more readers by rendering their work in modern English. My modernizations of these Burns poems have been taught in classes, adopted by Burns clubs, and even published by a unit of the Royal Canadian Air Force!
I'm delighted to hear that.
I even had one of my Burns translations taught in a Literature class by a Mrs. Burns.
What are the odds?
I’m taking a posit and expressing it
That's fine, I grok the argument. I have Scottish ancestors, have visited Scotland and loved it, and have translated Burns, Dunbar and other Scottish poets. But I think what Burns wrote is close enough to English for a bright child to understand, and indeed I understood Burns other than a word here and there, when I read him as a boy. So for me it's a very colorful dialect of the English language. Peace.
And for me it’s otherwise. Go forth and prosper. 😁
On an interesting note, I once published poems and photos by Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy. "Live long and prosper."
Nanoo nanoo.
I not accusing you of a mistake
It's an interesting discussion, and I'm glad to engage in it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_language
The third paragraph (excerpted below) says there is no clear consensus: "Scots is sometimes regarded as a variety of English, though it has its own distinct dialects."
If you do an exact Google search using quotation marks for "Robert Burns" "Scots Dialect" you will get hundreds of pages, including pages published by The Guardian, Poetry Foundation, Robert Burns Societies, United Scottish Clans, The Scottican, etc.
This isn't a mistake or something I'm making up. I'm a Robert Burns fan and I've read over and over again in scholarly articles and books that he wrote in a Scots dialect of English. I understand that there are differences of opinion but the link you sent me says there is no consensus.
Given that there are no universally accepted criteria for distinguishing a language from a dialect, scholars and other interested parties often disagree about the linguistic, historical and social status of Scots, particularly its relationship to English.[12] Although a number of paradigms for distinguishing between languages and dialects exist, they often render contradictory results. Broad Scots is at one end of a bipolar linguistic continuum, with Scottish Standard English at the other.[13] Scots is sometimes regarded as a variety of English, though it has its own distinct dialects;[12]: 894 other scholars treat Scots as a distinct Germanic language, in the way that Norwegian is closely linked to but distinct from Danish.[12]: 894
Scot’s tho is not a dialect but a language. He would speak lowland Scot’s
The term "Scots dialect" has been used for many years to refer to the Scottish version of English in general. Whether it is a distinct language is still being debated, I believe. I'm content as long as readers get the bigger picture.
A lot of his poems were made to be sung: there is a wonderful album of his songs called ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ by Eddi Reader. Check it out.
Yes, he was a great songwriter. Tom Moore too, among the poets.