Rantin' Rovin' Robin Robert Burns Song Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video of the Rantin' Rovin' Robin song by Robert Burns set to a slide show of some of old photographs of Ayr, Ayrshire. This is an autobiographical song written by Robert Burns as a celebration of his 28th birthday on 25 January 1787, also known under the title There was a lad. Burns describes in joking terms his own birth in the presence of a midwife who predicts his destiny. A sort of fairytale in which the old woman next to the cradle is a kind of fairy godmother who dispenses the gift of Poetry

There was a lad was born in Kyle,
But what na day o' what na style,
I doubt it's hardly worth the while
To be sae nice wi' Robin.

Chorus
Robin was a rovin boy,
Rantin, rovin, rantin, rovin,
Robin was a rovin boy,
Rantin, rovin Robin!

Our monarch's hindmost year but ane
Was five and twenty days begun,
'Twas then a blast o' Janwar' win'
Blew hansel in on Robin!

Chorus

The gossip keekit in his loof,
Quo' she: - 'Wha lives'll see the proof,
This waly boy will be nae coof:
I think we'll ca' him Robin.'

Chorus

'He'll hae miisfortunes great an' sma',
But ay a heart aboon them a'.
He'll gie his Daddie's name a blaw,
We'll a' be proud o' Robin.'

Chorus

'But sure as three times three mak nine
I see by ilka score and line,
This chap will dearly like our kin',
Sae leeze me on thee, Robin!'

Chorus

'Guid faith', quo' she, 'I doubt you, Stir,
Ye'll gar the lassies lie aspar,
But twenty fauts ye may hae waur -
So blessins on thee, Robin.'

English translation

Robin was roving boy,
Ranting, roving, ranting, roving,
Robin was roving boy,
Ranting, roving Robin!

There was a lad was born in Kyle,
But what day or what style,
I doubt it is hardly worth the while
To be so nice with Robin.

Our monarch's hindmost year but one
Was five-and-twenty days begun,
It was then a blast of January wind
Blew handsel (first gift) in on Robin.

The gossip glanced in his palm,
Quoth (said) she:- ' Who lives will see the proof,
This thumping boy will be no dolt:
I think we will call him Robin.

' He will have misfortunes great and small,
But always a heart above them all.
He will be a credit to us all:
We will all be proud of Robin!

' But sure as three times three makes nine,
I see by every score and line,
This chap will dearly like our kind,
So commend me to you, Robin!

' Good faith,' said she, ' I doubt you make
The lovely girls lie aspread;
But twenty faults you may have worse -
So blessings on you, Robin!'

Meaning of Scots words:

hindmost year but one, meaning 1759
hansel means birth gift
keekit means peered
loof means face
waly means sturdy
coof means fool
aboon means above
ilka means every
leeze means commend
fauts means faults
waur means worse

Robert Burns was born, on the 25 January 1759, two miles south of Ayr, Ayrshire, in Alloway, the eldest of the seven children of William Burnes, a self educated tenant farmer from Dunnottar in the Mearns, and Agnes Broun, the daughter of a Kirkoswald tenant farmer. The only occasion that Robert Burns visited Perth, Perthshire, was towards the end of his 22 day tour of the Highlands during August and September, 1787.

All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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