From New Year’s morning, in Edinburgh; and Auld Handsel Monday, in the country: two poems in the Scottish dialect, by the author of The shepherd’s wedding, Edinburgh, pp7-16 1792.
Footnotes 1-9 are from the quoted work. Notes on the right-hand side are my modern additions.
NEW YEAR'S MORNING,
IN EDINBURGH.
An' what suppose we're air asteer, And what if we're up and about early
I see nae evil in it; I see no evil in it
Sae here's that we may end the year It's so that we may end the year
Nae war than we begin it. No worse than we began it
ANON. "The bard, (1) wha sang o' Hallow-fair, The bard, who sang of the Halloween fair
"The Daft Days, and Leith Races, Christmas revelry, and Leith [in Edinburgh] races
"Wha's canty sangs dis kill our care, Whose lively songs makes us carefree
"In mony funny places; In many funny places
"Forgat to sing that mornin' air, Forgot to sing taht morning song
"Whan lasses shaw their faces, When lasses show their faces
"Wi' gude het pints, (2) maist ilka where, With good hot pints, most everywhere
"Ye'll kep them gau'n in braces, You'll keep them going in ____
Fu' soon that morn. Full soon that morning. "Hail Hogmenae! (3), hail sunny night! Hail Hogmanay! Hail sunny night!
"For daffin' an' for drinkin', For merriment and for drinking
"For makin' a' thing right and tight, For making everything good
"For killin' care an' thinkin'; For stopping worrying and thinking
"For rinnin' thro' the streets like drift, For running throught the streets like ______
"For kissin' an' for clappin', For kissing and for patting
"For clearin' up the mind an' fight For clearing out the mind and ____
"Wi' a weell-made het chapin', With a well made hot half pint
"Fu' strang that morn. Full strong that morning
Now Mary a' thing right maun pit, Now Mary
Syne wash her little handy, Soon wash her little hand
Wha, think ye, was be her first fit (4), Who do you think was her first foot
Bat her ain true love Sandy; But her own true love Sandy
Wha brings short-bread (5) as sweet's a nit, Who brings shortbread as sweet as a nut [?]
An' eke three gills o' brandy, And draws out three quarters of a pint of brandy
Makes a het pint, syne down he'll sit, Makes a hot pint, soon down he'll sit
An' ablins sing the Dandy (6) And maybe sing the Dandy
To her that morn. To her that morning
"By twal o'clock we tak' the street, By twelve o'clock we take to the street
"There reel about like mad, There reeling about like made
"While aft we get frae some we meet While we get from some we meet
"O' gude short-bread a dad; A chunk of good shortbread
"Then lasses' lips, like cherries sweet (7), Then lasses' lips, sweet like charries
"We maun that mornin' prie, That morning we must kiss
"Though for't we get a braw red cheek, Even though for it we get a fine red cheek
"Unless we be fu' flee Unless we [manage to flee?]
"To jink that morn." And evade that morning
What signifies the warld's gear, What matter the world's riches
Thae wad be silly asses, Those would be silly asses
Wha wad compar't to the new-year, Who would compare that to the new-year
Whan wa'kin' wi' their lasses; When walking with their lasses
Hear, hear, ye bardies, while I swear Hear, hear, you bards [?], while I swear
By that high mount Parnassus, By that high mount Parnassus
Nought can excel the joys whan here Nothing can exceed the joys than those
We mark the sun that passes We mark the sun which rises
Upo' that morn. Upon that morning
On Hogmenae I sat up late, On Hogmanay I sat up late
Mysell nae doubt adornin', Myself no doubt adorning
As I intended to see Kate As I intended to see Kate
Fu' early on that mornin'; Full early on that morning
But lang ere I wan o'er the gate, But long before I went over the gate
I met a lassie gauntin', I met a lassie yawning
I squeez'd her hand, she lookit blate, I squeezed her hand, she looked bashful
Well kend I she was wantin' Well I knew she was wanting
A kiss that mornin'. A kiss that morning
I mak' nae doubt, but ane an' a' I do not doubt that one and all
Ha'e heard the proclamation (8), Have heard the proclamation
Whilk ay is cry'd, to keep in awe Which is always called, to keep in awe
The rising generation. The rising generation
But troth there is nae ane ava, But in truth, there is not one of them
Or low or high in station, Neither low nor high in station
But likes, nae doubt to tak' their blaw, That does not like, no doubt, to boast [?]
Altho' in moderation, Although in moderation
By times that morn. Early that morning
The plainstanes now, frae en' to en', The pavement now, from end to end
Are black wi' lads an' lasses, Is black with lads and lasses
And some strang-bearded married men And some strong-bearded married men
To mark an' see what passes; To watch and see what will happen
Thae ablins in the croud preten' Those perhaps in the crowd pretend
To be but beardless youthies, To be no more than beardless youths
An' stowlens they will mak' sen' And stealthily they will make
To prie the lasses' mouthies To kiss the lasses' mouths
Sae sweet that morn. So sweet that morning
"Hech, wae's my heart, a barber lad Ach, woe's my heart, a barber lad
"Did measure the street fairly,
"An' roar'd an' rar'd like an stark mad,
"He had fa'n till't o'er early'
"A cellar, upo' the high street,
"But ony ravel, bare,
"Gart the puir scraper tyne his feet,
"An' tumble down the stair,
"The creels that morn.
O Tonal, Tonal, hurry out,
Cry'd black Baldy Macauly,
For yonder be some blackguards clout
Ane o' our men, puir fallow;
The guard on them came fly about,
Tho' some did get aff brawly,
Thay ae puir fuddl'd chiel did hook,
An' guid him a rough haully
To th' guard that morn.
"Some Highland blue (9) is unco gued,
"As lang's we keep frae anger,
"It pits fowk in a merry mood,
"An' keeps them out o' langer;
"But troth I'm fley'd that yon daft coof,
"Wi's twa een in the glammer,
"Wha dang aff Tonal's nose the scroof,
"Maun thole the Bailie's yammer
"For it next morn.
The clock had newly chapped ane,
Whan to the street I rambl'd,
An' up a lang dark stair alane,
Wi' meikle faught, I scrambl'd;
There I met wi' some hearty fowks,
An' tho' I'm but a striplin',
I e'en sat down to hear their jokes,
An' soon we fell a-tipplin',
Fu' air that morn.
A gaucy bowl they did bring in,
Wi' sucker, rum, an' water,
They fill'd it up near han' the brim,
Syne a' began to clatter;
For ilka ane did gi'e their toast,
An' glasses roun' gaed clinkin',
Till in a blink a' care was lost,
Wi' dassin' an' wi' drinkin'
Sae fast that morn.
Awee bit gabby callan than,
I canna troth here miss him,
Drank, May King GEORGE live weel an' lang,
An' O may heaven bless him!
Haud, haud, quo' Davy, ye are wrang,
Nae war I'm sure I wiss him,
Were ye like me, lad, by my sang,
Ye'd frae your thoughts dismiss him,
For anes this morn.
Here Davy he began to drink
To th' memory of Charlie,
While Duncan he begins to think,
That it was nae done fairly;
He fill'd his glass up to the brink,
Till now he drank but sparely,
Syne kiss'd its bottom in a blink,
That was, quo' he, done rarely,
I'm sure, this morn.
But Duncan, wae's my heart for him,
Nae witch atweel at drinkin',
Drank aff the flowin' bowl the skim,
Sae it set him a-winkin';
Come fill my glass up to the brim,
He cry'd, as he was sinkin',
'Twas done to please the devil's lim',
But soon it sent him linkin',
To sleep that morn.
Ae lass there was wi' sweet sweet breath,
An unco bonny finger,
An' that she was I'll gi'e my aith,
Ye'll nae fin' sax to ding her;
She sang sae sweet Auld Robin Gray,
Next how Will courted Nancy,
An' syne the Birks o' Invermay,
These three pleas'd ilk ane's fancy
'T was there that morn
Now ilka chiel an' lassy there,
Wi' drinkin' gude rum-tody,
Were a' for ploys an' sportin' rare,
For they did fear nae body;
We parted a' gude frien's atweel,
The sax hour bell was jowin',
When ilka lass wi' her ain chiel
Aff to their hames gaed rowin',
Weel-sair'd that morn.
Auld Reikie's fam'd for a' that's rare,
Porter an' oysters plenty,
For ilka thing in season air,
Braw lad an' lasses dainty.
An' what suppose we're air asteer,
I see nae evil in it;
Sae here's that we may end the year,
Nae war than we begin it,
Fu' air that morn.
(1) Ferguson.
(2) Het pints.--Among the lower classes of the people, in Scotland, it is customary for some person in each family to rise very early in new year's morning, and prepare a kind of caudle, consisting of ale mixed with eggs, beat up with sugar and a little spirits, preparted hot, which is carried through every apartment in a stoup (pot) containing a Scots pint, (two English quarts); and a cup of this is offered to each person when in bed. This beverage is technically called het (i. e. hot) pints.
(3) Hogmenae--The last night of the year. A great deal of gossiping and sun goes on that evening. It was formerly the custom in the country for small parties of young people to go about from house to house disguised, and act a kind of play. These were called guisards. That custom is now wearing out.
(4) First fit.--The first person we meet on new year's morning is called our first fit (first foot).
(4) Short-bread.--A kind of cake made of flour, with butter and sugar, and baked hard. That and other kinds of sweet cakes are then distributed liberally to all guests in every family.
(6) The Dandy.--A favourite song, sung by Mr Moss in the character of Caleb in Mr Pillan's comedy called, He would be a Soldier.
(7) It was the universal custom in Scotland, till of late, for every male to salute, by kissing, every female of his acquaintance, the first time he met her in the new year.
(8) Proclamation.--It is customary, every year, for one of the town-officers, attended by the city-guard drummer, to publish through the public streets of Edinburgh, a proclamation, at the desire of the Lord Provost and Magistrates, to give notice, that all who are found quarrelling, and knocking down harmless and sober people in the streets, will be severly punished, &c.
(9) Highland blue.--Highland whisky.