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22 Jan 06 - 01:38 PM (#1653573) Subject: translation of a Scots dialect phrase From: GUEST Hi, I'm puzzling over a phrase in Robert Burns' "Tibby Fowler o' the Glen." In the last verse, (Be a lassie e'er sae fair/ An' she want the pennie siller/ A flie may fell her in the air/ Before a man be even till her.), does "a flie may fell her in the air" mean she'll be knocked down by a fly before etc.? Or is it something else entirely? I tried two Scots Dictionary and the DSL online, but couldn't find an answer. tx, k. |
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22 Jan 06 - 01:45 PM (#1653584) Subject: RE: translation of a Scots dialect phrase From: Nigel Parsons No immediate rush to translate, but several sites on the net e.g. This one atribute it not to Burns, but to Blamire, Susanna, 1747-1794 CHEERS Nigel |
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22 Jan 06 - 02:10 PM (#1653625) Subject: RE: translation of a Scots dialect phrase From: Q (Frank Staplin) I think you read it aright. It's more likely that a fly will knock her down than a man will succeed in getting to her. See thread 4850: Tibbie The song predates Burns. See thread 50687; a bee instead of a fly: Tibbie A link in the second thread leads to the version in Henry's Songbook. |
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22 Jan 06 - 02:16 PM (#1653631) Subject: RE: translation of a Scots dialect phrase From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Have you tried the Robert Burns site? |
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22 Jan 06 - 02:25 PM (#1653636) Subject: RE: translation of a Scots dialect phrase From: John MacKenzie A woman may be without money, or even a fly might knock her down, before she regards a man as her equal. Giok |
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22 Jan 06 - 03:00 PM (#1653679) Subject: RE: translation of a Scots dialect phrase From: Q (Frank Staplin) Not at the Burns site because it isn't a Burns song. |
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22 Jan 06 - 03:26 PM (#1653694) Subject: RE: translation of a Scots dialect phrase From: Malcolm Douglas Burns provided a copy for The Scots Musical Museum (V, no. 440, p 452) but he didn't write it. Various past discussions here, as both Tibby and Tibbie. "Bee" is an error of transcription, not a traditional variant. The Susanna Blamire lyric is not the one being asked about, though it was likely written to the same tune, perhaps as an "answer" to the original song. |
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22 Jan 06 - 10:48 PM (#1653929) Subject: RE: translation of a Scots dialect phrase From: friskett As always, people here are wonderfully informative. Thanks for the info. and the many leads to explore! k. |