Ahhhh. So a joint effort between an American and a Scot. That'll work!
Yup! Ok, I can live with that
........now about that gay thing.....
Oops!! Help!!
Ahhhh. So a joint effort between an American and a Scot. That'll work!
Yup! Ok, I can live with that
........now about that gay thing.....
Oops!! Help!!
**End of shameless self-promotion**
Promote away Ryan...the BRU can handle it
Everybody in the world loves Irn Bru!
Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
You are a walking talking Doctor Who encyclopedia to me. - Melike
Slightly unorthodox way to consume the Bru:
Jellied Irn Bru
If you are going through hell - keep going
look who is here!!!
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Class!!...
can someone send me a can of this stuff that hasnt been refridgerated yet? I GOTTA try it!
Of course if he paid for your airfare he would have the distinction most likely of wanting the BRU more than anyone. The attention he'd get from the company (possibly even commercials) if they found out would probably balance out the financial loss.
It is even better if it is all for only one can.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great to see more Russian friends on the BRU trail...and of course, there is that other Russian/Scottish connection...Rabbie Burns. There's a saying in poker...'read them and weep'...apt to say that about this Burns poem even more so...I challenge you to read this with your heart and fail to shed a tear.
(For you and Jean, this was partially translated into Russian by Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov)
Ae Fond Kiss
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
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 cheerful 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 for ever.
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.
Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee
thank you! I love Burns, and when my students get advanced enough, I make them decipher a poem or other, it's a good exercise. I didn't know Lermontov translated this one, though.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lermontov claimed (??) that he was descended from the Scottish Earls of Learmont, one of whom settled in Russia in the early 17th century, and the Scottish poet Thomas the Rhymer (Thomas Learmonth) is cited as a relative of his. Apparently, there is published genealogical evidence that states the poet was descended from Yuri (George) Learmont, a Scottish officer in the Polish service who settled in Russia in the middle of 17th century.
This might partly account for Lermontov's connection to Burns.
Lermontov was also influenced by another Russian poet, Ivan Koslov, and in 1832, he (Lermontov) translated the 'Had we never lov'd sae kindly' stanza from Ae Fond Kiss. One interesting aspect of his translation is the first line. Having confused the word kindly with that of the German word Kind, meaning child, his first line reads, 'Had we never been children'.
It was no major flaw and he was able to convey the feel of the poem in a manner comparable to that of Burns' original.
So there you go, Jean. I therefore claim Lermontov as being Scottish.
Funny old World, isn't it?
Lermontov's Scottich origin is a semi-accepted fact here; he has a wonderful poem called "Desire" about this, I will translate it for you if you want (not right now)
Зачем я не птица, не ворон степной,
Пролетевший сейчас надо мной?
Зачем не могу в небесах я парить
И одну лишь свободу любить?
На запад, на запад помчался бы я,
Где цветут моих предков поля,
Где в замке пустом, на туманных горах,
Их забвенный покоится прах.
На древней стене их наследственный щит
И заржавленный меч их висит.
Я стал бы летать над мечом и щитом,
И смахнул бы я пыль с них крылом;
И арфы шотландской струну бы задел,
И по сводам бы звук полетел;
Внимаем одним, и одним пробуждён,
Как раздался, так смолкнул бы он.
Но тщетны мечты, бесполезны мольбы
Против строгих законов судьбы.
Меж мной и холмами отчизны моей
Расстилаются волны морей.
Последний потомок отважных бойцов
Увядает средь чуждых снегов;
Я здесь был рожден, но нездешний душой...
О! зачем я не ворон степной?..
He is one of my favorite poets, by the way - I still can't remember anything that would remind me of that Burns's one. He translated a lot, too.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lermontov's Scottich origin is a semi-accepted fact here; he has a wonderful poem called "Desire" about this, I will translate it for you if you want (not right now)
Yes please!!
I still can't remember anything that would remind me of that Burns's one
I will try to track down some info if I can.
Thank you for posting that poem, agrabin
I do like Burns, too, although have not read a lot of his works - just a few, some in Russian, some in English. I remember listening to Auld Lang Syne at English lessons at school.
Also, a fried of mine used to quote one of Burns' poems in reference to me, jokingly - but I only know it is Russian. It is about a girl of small stature.
Jean, perhaps you know the original English text of this:
На то и меньше мой алмаз
Гранитной темной глыбы,
Чтобы дороже во сто раз
Его ценить могли бы!
BTW, visited Scotland in September 2010 - and I can officially declare that it is now one of the two places I would have loved to move to one day. (The other one is Sweden.) Felt right at home
If you are going through hell - keep going
Ask why God made the gem so small,
And why so huge the granite?
Because God meant mankind should set
The higher value on it
bears have only been to Edinburgh, and they loved it a lot
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scots and Russians have always got along together, mainly through the fishing trade. We used to get a large number of fishing trawlers landing their catch in our harbours.
The skippers used to take Lada cars and parts back in their empty boats. Scotland was the largest buyers if Ladas outside of Russia.