Long before Holden Caulfield ever
imagined himself on a cliff catching children, Robert Burns (that sexy,
self-educated Scotsman) wrote his song “Comin’ Thro’ the Rye.”
Gin a body meet a body
Comin’ thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
Gin a body meet a body
Comin’ thro' the glen
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warl' ken?
Ilka lassie has her laddie,
Nane, they say, ha’e I
Yet all the lads they smile on me,
When comin' thro' the rye.
Comin’ thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
Gin a body meet a body
Comin’ thro' the glen
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warl' ken?
Ilka lassie has her laddie,
Nane, they say, ha’e I
Yet all the lads they smile on me,
When comin' thro' the rye.
Burns was born 255 years ago on January 25. If you feel like giving it a
try, enjoy the rolling rhythms of his “Comin’ Thro’ the Rye” by reading it aloud -- or even sing it, if you know the tune. Then light a candle and kiss someone in celebration of
the life of this poet who continues to urge us all to relish our own lives.
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