Translation of Mykola Lukash
“Scots wha hae” by Robert Burns
Original
Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led;
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to victory!
Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lour;
See approach proud Edward's power—
Chains and slavery!
Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward's grave!
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!
Wha for Scotland's king and law
Freedom's sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand, or freeman fa',
Let him follow me!
By oppression's woes and pains!
By your sons in servile chains!
We will drain our dearest veins,
But they shall be free!
Lay the proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe!
Liberty's in every blow!—
Let us do or die!
Translation
Гей, шотландці! В бій не раз
Воллес, Брюс водили вас;
Знов ударив грізний час —
До борні, брати!
То ж не жарт, шотландський гарт,
Докажіть, чого він варт:
Наближається Едвард,
З ним ідуть кати.
Хто злякався ворогів,
Хто від жаху затремтів,
Рабськи вмерти захотів —
Може утекти.
Хто за рідний край готов
Щедро лити щиру кров,
Щоб звільнитися з оков —
Той у бій лети!
Важмо сміливо життям:
Випадає нині нам
I собі, й своїм синам
Волю осягти.
В нас із вами шлях один —
Бить загарбника на скін,
Перемогу чи загин
У бою знайти.
 Analysis
“Scots Wha Hae” is a patriotic song, written in 1793 by Robert Burns. He was inspired by Robert Bruce’s speech
before the Battle of Bannockburn, the first war of Scottish independence. This song became so popular that it was
considered Scotland’s unofficial national anthem for many years. Burns stood for the Independence of Scotland.
He wrote many patriotic poems and his political ideas are traced in almost every work. He wrote in Scottish or as
in this song combined English and Scottish. And of course, Scottish people consider him Scotland’s national bard.

What about the structure. The original song consists of 6 stanzas of four lines each with an AAAB rhyme. Mykola
Lukash kept the structure.

As I mentioned the song is about the battle of Bannockburn, which was led by the army of the king of Scots
Robert Bruce. So, he is the lyrical hero, to whom these words belong. He reminds the Scottish people of how they
have fought for independence before and urges them to prepare for another fight. The third line first stanza uses
the metaphor “gory bed” (криваве ліжко) to refer to death. There are only two possible outcomes to die or to
win. Mykola Lukash avoided this. He just called for the fight, not telling about possible future death or victory. But
the main idea is kept.

In the second stanza, Burns described the time and place, where actions take place. The battle has started and
enemies are approaching. Lukash again slightly changed the text. The depiction of battle is absent. But he
continued to lift Scottish spirit: То ж не жарт шотландський гарт,/ Докажіть чого він варт.

In the third stanza, Robert Bruce draws attention to soldiers who can cause the defeat of the Scottish army. There
are three types: traitors, cowards and slaves. He tells them to run away not to disgrace their people. Bruce in
Lukash variant addresses cowards and slaves. He tried to bring foreign literature closer to Ukrainian culture to
make it easier for Ukrainians. And maybe he made Scots more similar to Ukrainians.

The fifth stanza explains what the fight is about. The poet used “we” to emphasise that the main character is part
of the army. He used the metaphor “drain our dearest veins”, which means they are ready to fight until their last
drop of blood. Lukash didn’t point to specific tasks of the battle, but still said this war is important: Випадає нині
нам/ І собі, й своїм синам/ Волю осягти. Another difference is that he didn’t portray it all so categorically, like
fighting to the last breath. No. He avoided it. His idea is softer. You should be brave because this fight is important
for the future.

In the last stanza, Robert Bruce instructs the troops. They must humiliate the enemies, and kill them because
when they kill soldiers on the battlefield, they kill the tyrants, English kings. And again translation of Lukash is
softer and not so categorical as in Burns’s “Let us do or die”.

I like Lukash’s variant more. The translation is more sentimental and artistic. Robert Burns used metaphors; gory
bed, drain our veins and personification: Freedom’s sword, Liberty’s in every blow. But Lukash used inversion в
бій не раз/ Воллес, Брюс водили вас; наближається Едвард; хто за рідний край готов/ Щедро лити ширу
кров. It is everywhere. He used specific, Ukrainian words: борня, гарт, окова, скін. He used synonyms: кати,
вороги, загарбник. The original is drier. It’s like instruction for soldiers: the first stanza – urge to fight, the second
– description of the battle, the third – negative image of a soldier, the fourth – ideal image of a soldier, the fifth –
what they fight for, the sixth – how they should fight. And it goes step by step. The style of Burns is sharper,
abrupter. So the translation of Lukash is accurate in structure and meaning (the main idea fight for independence,
for the future), despite some changes. But it has a different tone. More poetical and more Ukrainian.

Anastasia Potapchuk (ІНП-15 1 група)