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Document 375

The lassies tak the bannock, O!

Author(s): Michael Hamish Glen

Copyright holder(s): Michael Hamish Glen

Text

1.
Twa hunder year an mair hae gane,
Syne Rabbie dee'd, but nane i vain,
(They gie us cause fur makin main)
Fur still his splores wi us remain.

He kent ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

2.
It's tae the chiels A gab the nicht -
O Lord ye mak a winsome sicht,
(Gin ye wad but yer faiples dicht!)
Wi weskits braw, an pates sae bricht!

But ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

3.
Whan ettling hauns are wunt tae rove,
I seeking luscious traisure trove,
Ben ferny haugh or gressy grove
(Whaur pintles hae been kent tae hove).

O! jings ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

4.
An gin ye lang fur muntain taps,
That silken mist aye doucely wraps
(Wi mony a cleft fur dawdling staps),
Forget auld Jura wi her Paps.

Fur ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

5.
At gloamin fa, or efter derk
(Noo, there's the tid tae mak yer merk),
When roamin throw a bussie perk,
They'll tak ye in ablow their serk.

O! aye...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

6.
Whan restless een are kesting roon,
An breedy thochts are ben yer croon,
Juist gar her pou yer troosers doon!
(Mak siccar, mind, she's nae a loon.)

Aye, lads ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

7.
Whan owertak't be thochts salacious,
Care nae a docken tae be gracious;
E'en queans i teens can be rapacious
(Wi pairts forenenst ye gey capacious).

Deil kens ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

8.
Care nocht that ane wee cantie sperm
(Its tottie scowth micht hae nae term),
Cud gar sic muckle dreid an herm.
The bull in ye wad fill a ferm!

O! losh ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

9.
Gin haughmagandie is yer bent
(An ilka laddie craves his stent),
O usquebae ye maun tak tent,
Lest nichts o passion perish, rent.

O! ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

10.
Fur, gin yer fere's John Barleycorn,
Ca canny, fur he'll nirl yer horn
(Lik ony bairn's, juist newly born),
An bring oot skirls o hertless scorn.

Ye ken ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

11.
But, whan blowst'rie days are a gaun hame,
An pooer ye want tae prime her waim,
Keek blithesome at yer chusit dame
(In howp she's blin tae a yer shame).

Aye, weel ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

12.
Whan agues grup ye wi their pains,
Forbye ye're tholing brakit banes
(Ye're shauchlin, shilpit, a yer lanes),
They cosset ye lik wabbit weans.

O! ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

13.
But gin they're hirplin on ane leg
(Lik Auntie Beenie wi her peg),
They dinnae girn or wheenge or beg;
A queanie disnae gie a feg.

Fur, mind ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

14.
Whan winds are curst that blaw frae sooth
(An rattle ilka yawking tuith),
Tae cry the blash wad be uncouth;
Ken, lads, there bides ane aesome truith.

Aye, aye ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

15.
O! O! but, gin yer loins hae expectation
(O yerd-fast, sumptious penetration),
Juist knuckle doon - tae ruch temptation!
An rant i braisant delectation.

O! man ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

16.
Sae, rax yer haun oot, trusty feres
(Fur noo ma prattle's ootcome nears),
An heist yer gless wi lusty cheers,
Tae cry a tost wad bide fur years!

Come owre, ye carl-cats! ...
The lassies bak ...
The lassies brak ...
The lassies tak the bannock, O!

Tae the lassies!

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APA Style:

The lassies tak the bannock, O!. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 30 October 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=375.

MLA Style:

"The lassies tak the bannock, O!." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2024. Web. 30 October 2024. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=375.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "The lassies tak the bannock, O!," accessed 30 October 2024, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=375.

If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2024. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 375

The lassies tak the bannock, O!

Text

Text audience

Other members and guests
Audience size 21-100
Writer knew intended audience

Text details

Method of composition Wordprocessed
Year of composition 1995
Word count 682
General description Verse 'toast' extolling the lassies in Burns' style

Text medium

Other personal performance

Text performance/broadcast details

Where performed/broadcast At Burns Suppers in Scottish Arts Club in Edinburgh.
When performed/broadcast 2000-01-25
Performed/broadcast by Author

Text setting

Leisure/entertainment

Text type

Poem/song/ballad

Author

Author details

Author id 609
Forenames Michael Hamish
Surname Glen
Gender Male
Decade of birth 1940
Educational attainment Highers/A-levels
Age left school 18
Upbringing/religious beliefs Atheist
Occupation Writer/Heritage management consultant
Place of birth Bearsden
Region of birth Dunbarton
Birthplace CSD dialect area Dnbt
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Tarbert
Region of residence Argyll
Residence CSD dialect area Arg
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Chartered Accountant
Father's place of birth Cambuslang
Father's region of birth Lanark
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Lnk
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Lawyer
Mother's place of birth Glasgow
Mother's region of birth Glasgow
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Gsw
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes All circumstances
French Yes Yes Yes Yes On holiday, not entirely fluent
Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic No No Yes No Used in commissioned writing with help of speakers
Italian Yes No Yes Yes A little written and spoken
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes In commissioned and personal writing and conversat

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