Robert burns poems for children
A Poet’s Welcome to his Love-Begotten Daughter
First printed in Stewart, 1801
Thou’s welcome, Wean! Mishanter fa’ me,
If thoughts o’ thee, or yet thy Mamie,
Shall ever daunton me or awe me,
My sweet, wee lady;
Or if I blush when thou shalt ca’ me
Tyta, or Daddie. —
Tho’ now they ca’ me Fornicator,
An’ tease my name in kintra clatter,
The mair they talk, I’m kend the better;
E’en let them clash!
An auld wife’s tongue’s a feckless matter
To gie ane fash. —
Welcome! My bonie, sweet, wee Dochter!
Tho’ ye come here a wee unsought for;
And tho’ your comin I hae fought for,
Baith Kirk and Queir;
Yet by my faith, ye’re no unwrought for,
That I shall swear!
Wee image o’ my bonie Betty,
As fatherly I kiss and daut thee,
As dear and near my heart I set thee,
Wi’ as gude will,
As a’ the Priests had seen me get thee
That’s out o’ Hell. —
Sweet fruit o’ monie a merry dint,
My funny toil is no a’ tint;
Tho’ thou cam to the warld asklent,
Which fools may scoff at,
In my last plack thy part’s be in’t,
The better half o’t.
Tho’ I should be the waur bestead,
Thou’s be as braw and bienly clad,
And thy young years as nicely bred
Wi’ education,
As onie brat o’ Wedlock’s bed
In a’ thy station.
Gude grant that thou may ay inherit
Thy Mither’s looks an’ gracefu’ merit;
An’ thy poor, worthless Daddie’s spirit,
Without his failins!
’Twill please me mair to see thee heir it
Than stocket mailins!
For if thou be, what I wad hae thee,
An’ tak the counsel I shall gie thee,
I’ll never rue my trouble wi’ thee,
The cost nor shame o’t,
But be a loving Father to thee,
And brag the name o’t.
This primary resource introduces children to the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns and the tradition of Burns’ Night. When was Robert Burns born? What year did ‘Burns’ Night’ begin? How is Burns’ Night celebrated?
Pupils will discover how and why Robert Burns’ birthday has become a cultural event celebrated around the globe in our National Geographic Kids’ Robert Burns primary resource sheet.
The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for discussing Burns’ Night and other traditional events and celebrations around the world. It can be used as a printed handout for each pupil to review and annotate, or for display on the interactive whiteboard using the images included in the resource for class discussion.
Activity: Read and discuss a selection of Robert Burn’s poems with the class, such as Auld Lang Syne, To a Mouse, Address to a Haggis, Tam O’Shanter. Children could also write their own poems; perhaps based on a theme or topic from their favorite Burns’ poem. Pupils could read out their work to the class to gain confidence and build presentation skills.
N.B. The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the English National Curriculum and Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email: schools@ngkids.co.uk
This Robert Burns primary resource assists with teaching the following English objectives from the National Curriculum:
The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- appreciate
Easy Burns poems for children to learn and other fun Scots verses
The day of our national bard can bring out the poet in us all – so here are some easier Burns poems for children to learn.
Memorising Scots verse is a great way for young ones to learn about Scotland’s culture and language and they’ll have fun reciting over a plate of haggis, neaps and tatties on Burns Night.
Some of Robert Burns’ famous works – such as Tam o’ Shanter – are wordy epics nigh impossible to commit to memory.
But here are three shorter Burns poems for children to learn and some other fun Scots poetry which families can recite together on January 25.
The Selkirk Grace
Some hae meat and canna eat.
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit!A Red, Red Rose
O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun
O I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.And fare thee weel, my only Luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.Ae Fond Kiss
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, and then forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.
Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu’ twinkle lights me;
Dark despair around benights me.I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy,
Naething could resist my Nancy;
But to see her was to love her;
Love but her, and love forever.
Had we never lov’d sae kindly,
Had we never lov’d sae blindly,
Never met—or never parted—
We had ne’er been broken-hearted- Best short robert burns poems
Our favourite Robert Burns poems
This collection of 366 poems reflects on Scotland’s landscapes, history and people, and includes many of the country's most celebrated poets, from Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott to Carol Ann Duffy.
The ‘Selkirk Grace’ is a well-known thanksgiving poem said before meals. It is usually said after guests have sat down to enjoy a Burns Night supper, before the first course is served.
Selkirk Grace
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.‘Address to a Haggis’ is traditionally recited on Burns Night after the haggis has been brought in and set on the table.
Address to a Haggis
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great Chieftan o’ the Puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe or thairm:Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’ need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber mead.His knife see Rustic-labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit hums.Is there that owere his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect scunner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll make it whissle;
An’ legs, an’ arms, an’ heads will- Robert burns love poems