MacJams.com - Song: Her answer by apb

Her answer by apb [Email]

Genre: Spoken Word-Poetry

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Keywords:

robert burns (1), her answer (1), poetry (105), poem (21), recital (1)

Description:

For Feter, rschletty and Ceilidh. A recital and some interpretation of the Robert Burns (above) poem Feter mentions in his her answer

I'm no expert, my favourite poems probably being Trigger Happy TVs "5 million" and "blah blah blah" (on youtube) but anyway, I do like Burn's "Tam O'Shanter":

My interpretation is that this is a 3rd party (*should be* female voice (not me) due to the title "Her answer" angrily responding to "the trusted, faithless man" who has turned up, unrepentant for his actions, trying to get in the house, where (presumably) the woman (he has wronged) lives (who he became smitten by in the summer).

I reasoned '3rd party' because of the "Is nocht to what poor she endures" line, instead of "Is nocht to what poor I endure". It still could be a direct response from the wronged woman. (Richard mentions "jo" meaning 'dear' or 'sweetheart', an argument for the direct response from the woman interpretation, although the modern day 'dearie' can be used scornfully to someone other than your sweetheart). It's also paired as a response to another poem O let me in thes ae night (in which it's the man's narrative, clearly trying to worm his way into the house) - would be funny if he
got someone other than his sweetheart- an older woman perhaps, responding :o) .. but if a direct response from said 'sweetheart', the odd "she"'s must refer to womankind in general.

'She' definitely 'ain't happy- perhaps it's because she
sees his excuse of the weather as a weak attempt to worm his way into the house - it is that too, but I think there is hints at she feels wronged by him in some other way, or really has a very bleak perspective on engaging in relations with him, or of 'man' in general.

The female starts by responding to his complaints/plees about the weather and reminds him that what he suffers is nothing compared to what she (womankind) suffers: she is feeling "now trodden (on) like the vilest weed" or would feel like that if she let him in, or has been even (the "now" gave me a leaning to that interpretation).

The last verse 'she' compares
[the wronged] woman (or womankind) to a bird (quite British to this day) that has been become the
prey of a 'Fowl'er (an old occupation of 'keeper or catcher of birds') and a warning/reminder that this is a common fate that befalls unwary, unwise women... and is quite ahead of it's time for womans liberation in the cry for women to be free (from the captivity of men) to choose their own destiny. He 'ain't getting in this night, that's for sure! :o)

Another more romantic inerpretation of this verse, could see the Fowler as her father, who since learning of their relationship in the summer, has confined her and her fear of repercussions and suffering at his hand, is what she endures and talks about, and she does want to let him in but cannot but she's still a bit miffed at the man for thinking it is just him that suffers.

Anyhoo, important things to remember is that in Scottish pronunciation, the last words
of many lines are intended to rhyme (I'd wager)... so I almost got the "disdain" "again" right
but not quite .. still a bit too "a-gen" as in normal English, should be "a-gain".
Same with "hours, pours and endures" all should have "oo" sound and "mead", "weed" and "read" with "ee" sound.

I opted to deliver the "I tell you now" like the Glaswegian fictitious character Rab C. Nesbit (as performed by Gregor Fisher) does his venomous ranting "Ah tell you this!", seemed appropriate :o)

Not sure about "cam" as "came" or as "cam" - I went for "came".

Nowadays, "ance" meaning "once" is commonly said as "wance" in Scottish slang/dialect.

I had a go at my own translation into "the de'il's tongue" as Burns lovingly referred to English as.

Sample used from Freesound (Creative Commons licensed: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/sampling+/1.0/)
October 4, 2007
By acclivity (http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=37876)
SqueakyGate.wav

Thanks to Richard Schletty for his help with the interpretation and translation.

Lyrics:

Robert Burns (1795)
======================
O tell na me o' wind an' rain, [Oh don't tell me about wind and rain]
Upbraid na me wi' cauld disdain, [Lecture me not with cold disdain]
Gae back the gate ye cam again, [Go back to the gate you came from again]
I winna let ye in, jo. [I won't let you in, dear]

Chorus-I tell you now this ae night, [I tell you now this (one) night]
This ae, ae, ae night; [this one, one, one night]
And ance for a' this ae night, [and once (and) for all- this one night ..]
I winna let ye in, jo. [I won't let you in, dear]

The snellest blast, at mirkest hours, [(weather)The severest blast at darkest hrs]
That round the pathless wand'rer pours [that round the pathless wanderer pours]
Is nocht to what poor she endures, [is nothing to what suffering/hardship she endures]
That's trusted faithless man, jo.
I tell you now, &c.

The sweetest flower that deck'd the mead, [The sweetest flower that covered the meadow?]
Now trodden like the vilest weed-
Let simple maid the lesson read
The weird may be her ain, jo. [The fate/destiny may be her own, dear]
I tell you now, &c.

The bird that charm'd his summer day,
Is now the cruel Fowler's prey;
Let witless, trusting, Woman say
How aft her fate's the same, jo! [how often her fate is the same, dear]
I tell you now, &c.

Hardware:

Intel Mac Mini 1.66Ghz, 2GB RAM
Rode NT1-A mic with pop-shield

Software:

GB v3,
Ozone 3.

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Damn &mdash 12/25/07 - 08:35:36 AM

Outtaorbit

Just when I thought I'd learn the speak...I realize I only know American...bummer. Love this.

[ Reply to This ]

Thanks .. &mdash 12/25/07 - 08:47:37 AM