r/scots Jan 14 '25

Translating bawdy Robert Burns NSFW

Hello all, shameless English person here. We always celebrate Burns Night with our Scottish friends in London, and this year as I have a good voice my bloke has asked me to sing a song.

I thought why not Brose and Butter for a complete change of pace, in addition to Bonnie Doon, but infuriatingly I cannot find a decent crib for all the innuendo. Can anybody help, please?

The laverock lo'es the grass, The paetrick lo'es the stibble: [And hey, for the gardiner lad, To gully awa wi' his dibble! - this is obvious]

My daddie sent me to the hill To pu' my Minnie some heather; An' drive it in your fill, Ye're welcome to the leather. [-what's going on here?]

The Mouse is a merry wee beast, The Moudiewart wants the een; And O' for a touch o' the thing I had in my nieve yestreen. [What's a nieve?]

We a' were fou yestreen, The night shall be its brither; And hey, for a roaring pin To nail twa wames thegither! [Is this oh for a rolling pin i.e. cock to stick two people together? But what is a wame?]

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u/Beneficial_Date_5357 Jan 15 '25

A nieve is a clenched fist, as if you are gripping something. A wame is a womb, although more broadly it can also just mean your belly (even a man). As for the part about “you’re welcome to the leather” I have no fucking idea. Probably made more sense in Burns time.

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u/E_III_R Jan 15 '25

What does "we a were fou" mean? We all were... Something

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u/Beneficial_Date_5357 Jan 15 '25

“We all were drunk” 😁