Robert Burns. School Conference. (9th form)
учебно-методический материал по английскому языку (9 класс) по теме

                     Robert Burns

                                                           -1-

Every year, January 25th, the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns is celebrated by English and non-English people all over the world with great excitement. And our conference is devoted to this great date.

We begin our conference with the song “Auld Lang Syne”.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

 And days of auld lang syne?

                             Chorus: For auld lang syne, my dear,

                                           For auld lang syne,

                                           We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,

                                           For auld lang syne.

And here’s a hand, my trusty friend

And give a hand of thine

We’ll take a cup of kindness yet

For auld lang syne.

                                   Chorus:………………………

Auld=old

Forgot=forgotten

Acquaintance=You and I were friends long ago=in the days of our acquaintance

Auld lang syne=the days of long ago

Brought to min’(mind)= remembered

(We do not want to forget the days of our acquaintance and never to remember them. We do not want to forget the days of our acquaintance and the days of long ago. So, my friend, we will have a drink and remember the days of long ago.)

        The recognized song of brotherhood the world over is “Auld Lang Syne” known among the English-speaking nations as a parting song (1786). In one of his later letters Burns characterized it as “an old song of the older times and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript, until I took it down from an old man’s singing”.

           Let’s listen to some interesting facts from R. Burns’s biography:

1. Robert Burns was born in a clay-built cottage near the River Doon in Alloway, Ayrchire. His father William was a gardener on a small estate near by. There was no one who better understood men, their manners and their ways – Burns wrote about his father.

      Burns’ mother Agnes Brown had a dark and glowing eye and red hair, and she was always singing as she went about her heavy work of the day. S he had a wonderful voice, and a good stock of songs and ballads. In the evenings, if she was not too tired, she used to tell the children one of the popular folk- tales. Later Burns remembered and used in his works the songs and stories he had heard in his little cottage home.

      Although he was poor, William Burns’ greatest wish was to give his children the best education in his power, and while they were still young, he began to teach them to read and write.

                                                                             -2-

2. When Robert was six, he and his brother Gilbert went to school. It made them sad when, after only a few months, the teacher left and the school was closed. His father persuaded two or three neighbors to join him in engaging another teacher. This man was called John Murdoch. Although he was only 18, he was a very clever teacher. He lived with each family in turn and taught the children. Robert interested him more than his other pupils. On the other hand Robert’s teachers were the folk-songs and ballades his country; he knew many of them by heart. These years Robert read any book he could get. When Robert was 13, he had to take over most of the work of the farm from his father, who was growing old. These were hard times. Robert often suffered from illnesses because of the hard work and little food.

     The 15-year old Robert began to write.

3. Burns worked hard on a farm, but his family couldn’t make their ends meet. He decided to leave for Jamaica to make his fortune. A letter from his friend overturned his plans. His friend wrote that he could publish his poems. Thus he stayed in Scotland. Before his poems were published, they had been passed round among his friends acquaintances in Ayrshire.

      Burns wrote about the feelings of ordinary poor people and these people read and loved Burns’ poems. One writer of that time tells how servants and plough- boys gave all their hard-earned wages, which they needed to buy clothes for a book of Burns’ poems. After his father’s death Burns had to take care of his brothers and sisters, whom he helped all his life even though he never had much money.

        Burns died when he was only 37 years of age. His early death was due to the fact that all his life he lived in poverty. A few years after his death, the greatest English authors began to appreciate Burns’ poetry.

        Burns wrote many poems in English, but the kind of English verse which was fashionable at that time did not suit him, and his best verses are written in the dialect of his own country, Ayshire. In this Scottish dialect he wrote all kinds of poems- beautiful and tender songs in which he showed sympathy for the poor, angry verses in which he showed his dislike for the rich and made fun of the church.

Now we shall listen to some pupils who will recite Burns’ poems.

I.     The poem “John Barleycorn” is written in the form of a ballad. A ballad is a short narrative poem with both lyric and epic elements and was usually adapted for singing. In the poem Burns reveals the undying strength of a people resisting subjugation. It illustrates the joyous and rebellious spirit of Scottish folklore.

      Barleycorn is represented as a human being. This personification is very skillfully carried out by the poet. John Barleycorn is a human being, a hero hold, a people’s hero whose freedom- loving spirit the three kings united to crush.

      The poem” John Barleycorn” expresses Burns’ optimism. It tells of the way people prepare whiskey. The poem is symbolic in its meaning. John Barleycorn personified the strength of the common people which is immortal and cannot be done away with.

John Barleycorn

A Ballad

There was three kings into the east,
Three kings both great and high;
An' they hae swore a solemn oath
John Barleycorn should die.

They took a plough and plough'd him down,
Put clods upon his head;
And they hae swore a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead.

                                                                     -3-

But the cheerful spring came kindly on,
And show'rs began to fall;
John Barleycorn got up again,
And sore surpris'd them all.                                          

The sultry suns of summer came,
And he grew thick and strong;
His head weel arm'd wi' pointed spears,
That no one should him wrong.

The sober autumn enter'd mild,
When he grew wan and pale;
His bending joints and drooping head
Show'd he began to fail.

His colour sicken'd more and more,
He faded into age;
And then his enemies began
To shew their deadly rage.

They've ta'en a weapon, long and sharp,
And cut him by the knee;

Then tied him fast upon a cart,
Like a rogue for forgerie.

They laid him down upon his back,
And cudgell'd him full sore;
They hung him up before the storm,
And turned him o'er and o'er.

They filled up a darksome pit
With water to the brim;
They heaved in John Barleycorn,
There let him sink or swim.

They laid him out upon the floor,
To work him farther woe:
And still, as signs of life appear'd,
They toss'd him to and fro.

They wasted o'er a scorching flame
The marrow of his bones;
But a miller us'd him worst of all -
For he crush'd him 'tween two stones.

And they ha'e ta'en his very heart's blood,
And drank it round and round;
And still the more and more they drank,
Their joy did more abound.

                                                                          -4-

John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
Of noble enterprise;
For if you do but taste his blood,
'T will make your courage rise.

'T will make a man forget his woe;
'T will heighten all his joy:
'T will make the widow's heart to sing,
Tho' the tear were in her eye.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
Each man a glass in hand;
And may his great posterity
Ne'er fail in old Scotland!

    The greatest merit of Burns ' poetry also lies in his vivid description of nature. He sings of the beauty of Scotland where he spent all his life. He admires the greebn valleys, ‘mountains high cover’d with snow and wild hanging woods”.

II.” My heart’s in the Highlands.”

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,

The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth;

Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,

The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here;

My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;

A-chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,

My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.

Farewell to the mountains high covered with snow;

Farewell to the straths and green valleys below;

Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods;

Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.

                                                                          -5-

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here;

My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;

A-chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,

My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.

 “ В горах мое сердце” ( перевод Маршака)

В горах мое сердце... Доныне я там.

По следу оленя лечу по скалам.

Гоню я оленя, пугаю козу.

В горах мое сердце, а сам я внизу.

Прощай, моя родина! Север, прощай, -

Отечество славы и доблести край.

По белому свету судьбою гоним,

Навеки останусь я сыном твоим!

Прощайте, вершины под кровом снегов,

Прощайте, долины и скаты лугов,

Прощайте, поникшие в бездну леса,

Прощайте, потоков лесных голоса.

В горах мое сердце... Доныне я там.

По следу оленя лечу по скалам.

Гоню я оленя, пугаю козу.

В горах мое сердце, а сам я внизу.

III. Burns' songs are memorable for extraordinary truthfulness and passion.

“ Oh! My Love is Like a Red Red Rose”. – is one of the most loved lyrical songs.

O, my love is like a red, red rose,

That is newly sprung in June.

                                                                             -6-

O, my love is like the melody,

That is sweetly played in tune.

As fair are you, my lovely lass,

So deep in love am I,

And I will love you still, my Dear,

Till all the seas go dry.

Till all the seas go dry, my Dear,

And the rocks melt with the sun!

O I will love you still, my Dear,

While the sands of life shall run.

And fare you well, my only Love,

And fare you well a while!

And I will come again, my Love,

Although it were ten thousand mile!

Любовь

Любовь, как роза, роза красная,

Цветет в моем саду.

Любовь моя - как песенка,

С которой в путь иду.

Сильнее красоты твоей

Моя любовь одна.

Она с тобой, пока моря

Не высохнут до дна.

Не высохнут моря, мой друг,

Не рушится гранит,

Не остановится песок,

                                                                          -7-

А он, как жизнь бежит...

Будь счастлива, моя любовь,

Прощай и не грусти.

Вернусь к тебе, хоть целый свет

Пришлось бы мне пройти!

IV. Robert Burns devoted many poems to the girl whom he loved.

“ Stay My Charmer”.

Stay, my charmer, can you leave me?
Cruel, cruel to deceive me!
Well you know how much you grieve me!
Cruel charmer, can you go?
Cruel charmer, can you go?
By my love so ill-requited,
By the faith you fondly plighted,
By the pangs of lovers slighted,
Do not, do not leave me so!
Do not, do not leave me so!

V. The poet is deeply concerned with the life of the poor. Here are two poems, in which he shows his attitude and feelings to the poor people.

“ Grace at Dinner”.

Some hae meat and canna eat, (Some have meat and cannot eat,)

And some wad eat that want it, (Some cannot eat that want it;)

But we hae meat and we can eat, (But we have meat and we can eat)

Sae the Lord be thankit (So let the Lord be thanked)

“ Заздравный тост”.

У которых есть, что есть-

             Те подчас не могут есть.

 А другие могут есть, да сидят без хлеба.

А у нас тут есть, что есть,

                 Да при этом есть, чем есть, -

Значит нам благодарить остается небо!

                                                                            -8-

Throughout Scotland and the English speaking world is large, Burns’ “Grace at Dinner) (a short verbal expression of thanks delivered before or after a meal) is very popular and is most remarkably translated into the Russian language by Samuel Marshak. These lines could be produced only by a poet who is deeply concerned with the life of the poor.

VI. “ Is there For Honest Poverty.”

Is there for honest poverty

That hangs his head, and all that

The coward slave, we pass him by

We dare be poor for a' that

For a' that, an' a' that

Our toil's obscure and a' that

The rank is but the guinea's stamp

The man's the gold for a' that

******************************

Then let us pray that come it may

(as come it will for a' that)

That Sense and Worth, o'er a' the earth

Shall bear the gree an' a' that

For a' that an' a' that

It's coming yet for a' that

That man to man, the world o'er

Shall brothers be for a' that.

Честная бедность

Кто честной бедности своей

Стыдится и все прочее,

Тот самый жалкий из людей,

Трусливый раб и прочее.

 При всем при том,

                                                                           -9-                                                                  

 При всем при том,

 Пускай бедны мы с вами,

 Богатство -

 Штамп на золотом,

А золотой -

 Мы сами!

Мы хлеб едим и воду пьем,

Мы укрываемся тряпьем

И все такое прочее,

А между тем дурак и плут

Одеты в шелк и вина пьют

И все такое прочее.

 При всем при том,

 При всем при том,

 Судите не по платью.

 Кто честным кормится трудом, -

 Таких зову я знатью!

Вот этот шут - придворный лорд,

Ему должны мы кланяться,

Но пусть он чопорен и горд,

Бревно бревном останется!

 При всем при том,

 При всем при том,

Хоть весь он в позументах, -

 Бревно останется бревном

 И в орденах, и в лентах!

                                                                     -10-

Король лакея своего

Назначит генералом,

Но он не может никого

Назначить честным малым.

 При всем при том,

 При всем при том,

 Награды, лесть                                                                

И прочее

  Не заменяют ум и честь

 И все такое прочее!

Настанет день и час пробьет,

Когда уму и чести

На всей земле придет черед

Стоять на первом месте.

 При всем при том,

 При всем при том,

Могу вам предсказать я,

 Что будет день,

 Когда кругом

 Все люди станут братья!

   “Is there for Honest Poverty” (written in January 1795) was one of Burns’ favourite songs showing the effect of the French revolution on the poet. The gentry had a strong dislike for the ideas versed in this poem proclaiming the independence of a working man. The song went into print only in 1799 following the poet’s death. It is also known under the title “A Man’s a Man for all that”.

The natural music and melody of Burns’ songs was barned not from the principles of literary law-givers, but from the songs of the people. In his poems, songs and epigrams Burns paints the everyday life about him, and he does this with a boldness and freedom which mark the genius of an independent and original power. The biting satire of his epigrams was greatly admired by the common people. Here are three epigrams by Robert Burns in which he shows the ignorance of the nobility, the falsehood of the priests and his hatred of the rich.

                                                                             -11-

                                      1.  “The Book Worms”.

Once Burns was invited by a nobleman to see his magnificent library. Observing a splendid bound, but uncut and worm – eaten copy of Shakespeare on the table, the poet left the following lines in the volume:

                                           Through and through the inspir'd leaves,

                                            Ye maggots, make your windings;

                                            But oh! respect his lordship's taste,

                                             And spare his golden bindings.

Книжный червь

Пусть книжный червь - жилец резного шкафа -

В поэзии узоры прогрызет,

Но, уважая вкус владельца-графа,

пусть пощадит тисненый переплет!

                                                 2. The Parson’s Looks.

Some one-remarked that he had seen falsehood in the very look of a certain priest. The poet replied;

                                              That there is falsehood in his looks

                                               It must end will deny;

                                               They say their master is a knave-

                                               And sure they do not lie.

K портрету духовного лица

Нет, у него не лживый взгляд.

Его глаза не лгут.

Они правдиво говорят,

Что их владелец - плут!

3. Pinned to a Lady’s Coach.

  The following lines he addressed to the coach of a very rich lady.

                                                                    -12-

                 If you rattle along like your mistress’s tongue

                Your speed will outrival the dart;

               But a fly for your load, you’ll break down on the road,

                If your stuff be as rotten’s her heart.          

Ярлычок на карету знатной дамы

Как твоя госпожа, ты трещишь, дребезжа,

Обгоняя возки, таратайки.

Но слетишь под откос, если оси колес

Ненадежны, как сердце хозяйки!

4. The Toad-Eater.

What of earls with whom you have supt,

And of dukes that you dined with yestreen?

Lord! a louse, Sir, is still but a louse,

Though it crawl on the curl of a queen.

Поклоннику знати.

У него - герцогиня знакомая,

Пообедал он с графом на днях...

Но осталось собой насекомое,

Побывав в королевских кудрях.

5. Epigram on Miss Davies.

Ask why God made the gem so small?

And why so huge the granite?—

Because God meant mankind should set

That higher value on it.

                                                                     -13-

 Девушке маленького роста

    На то и меньше мой алмаз

    Гранитной темной глыбы,

    Чтобы дороже во сто раз

    Его ценить могли бы!

********************************************

Coming Through The Rye

Coming thro’ the rye, poor body,

Coming thro’ the rye,

She draiglet a’ her petticoatie

Coming thro’ the rye.

O, Jenny’s a’ wat, poor body;

Jenny’s seldom dry;

She draiglet a’ her petticoatie

Coming thro’ the rye.

Gin a body meet a body

Coming thro’ the rye,

Gin a body kiss a body—

Need a body cry?

Gin a body meet a body

Coming thro’ the glen,

Gin a body kiss a body—

Need the warld ken?

                                                                      -14-

Пробираясь до калитки...

Пробираясь до калитки

Полем вдоль межи,

Дженни вымокла до нитки

Вечером во ржи.

Очень холодно девчонке,

Бьет девчонку дрожь:

Замочила все юбчонки,

Идя через рожь.

Если звал кого-то кто-то

Сквозь густую рожь

И кого-то обнял кто-то,

Что с него возьмешь?

И какая нам забота,

Если у межи

Целовался с кем-то кто-то

Вечером во ржи!..

                                                                                  -15-

                                                                 Quiz.

1. When was R. Burns born? (25.01.1759)

2. What did he describe in his poems? (Common joys, sorrows and life of common people)

3. Where was he born? (Alloway, near Ayr)

4. What kind of family did R. Burns come from? (His father was a small farmer)

5. When did he begin to write poems? (14)

6. What was the name of his first poem? (Handsome Nell)

7. When did he publish his first book? 9 1786)

8. What was he doing travelling about Scotland? (Collect popular songs and ballads)

9. Why did he die? (Because of sufferings and hardships)

10. When did he die? (21. 07. 1796)

11. What is held in London at the Royal Festival Hall? (A great concert of Scottish music and a show of Highland dances)