ne'er mair to rise.
when masons' mystic word an' grip
in storms an' tempests raise you up,
some cock or cat your rage maun stop,
or, strange to tell!
the youngest brither ye wad whip
aff straught to hell.
lang syne in eden's bonie yard,
when youthfu' lovers first were pair'd,
an' all the soul of love they shar'd,
the raptur'd hour,
sweet on the fragrant flow'ry swaird,
in shady bower;
then you, ye auld, snick-drawing dog!
ye cam to paradise incog,
an' play'd on man a cursed brogue,
(black be your fa'!)
an' gied the infant warld a shog,
'maist rui'd a'.
d'ye mind that day when in a bizz
wi' reekit duds, an' reestit gizz,
ye did present your smoutie phiz
'mang better folk,
an' sklented on the man of uzz
your spitefu' joke?
an' how ye gat him i' your thrall,
an' brak him out o' house an hal',
while scabs and botches did him gall,
wi' bitter claw;
an' lows'd his ill-tongu'd wicked scaul',
was warst ava?
but a' your doings to rehearse,
your wily snares an' fechtin fierce,
sin' that day michael did you pierce,
down to this time,
wad ding a lallan tounge, or erse,
in prose or rhyme.
an' now, auld cloots, i ken ye're thinkin,
a certain bardie's rantin, drinkin,
some luckless hour will send him linkin
to your black pit;
but faith! he'll turn a corner jinkin,
an' cheat you yet.
but fare-you-weel, auld nickie-ben!
o wad ye tak a thought an' men'!
ye aiblins might—i dinna ken—
stil hae a stake:
i'm wae to think up' yon den,
ev'n for your sake!
Poems and Songs of Robert Burns scotch drink scotch drink
gie him strong drink until he wink,
that's sinking in despair;
an' liquor guid to fire his bluid,
that's prest wi' grief and care:
there let him bouse, an' deep carouse,
wi' bumpers flowing o'er,
till he forgets his loves or debts,
an' minds his griefs no more.
(solomon's proverbs, xxxi. 6, 7.)
let other poets raise a fracas
'bout vines, an' wines, an' drucken bacchus,
an' crabbit names an'stories wrack us,
an' grate our lug:
i sing the juice scotch bear can mak us,
in glass or jug.
o thou, my muse! guid auld scotch drink!
whether thro' wimplin worms thou jink,
or, richly brown, ream owre the brink,
in glorious faem,
inspire me, till i lisp an' wink,
to sing thy name!
let husky wheat the haughs adorn,
an' aits set up their awnie horn,
an' pease and beans, at e'en or morn,
perfume the plain:
leeze me on thee, john barleycorn,
thou king o' grain!
on thee aft scotland chows her cood,
in souple scones, the wale o'food!
or tumblin in the boiling flood
wi' kail an' beef;
but when thou pours thy strong heart's blood,
there thou shines chief.
food fills the wame, an' keeps us leevin;
tho' life's a gift no worth receivin,
when heavy-dragg'd wi' pine an' grievin;
but, oil'd by thee,
the wheels o' life gae down-hill, scrievin,
wi' rattlin glee.
thou clears the head o'doited lear;
thou cheers ahe heart o' drooping care;
thou strings the nerves o' labour sair,
at's weary toil;
though even brightens dark despair
wi' gloomy smile.
aft, clad in massy siller weed,
wi' gentles thou erects thy head;
yet, humbly kind in time o' need,
the poor man's wine;
his weep drap parritch, or his bread,
thou kitchens fine.
thou art the life o' public haunts;
but thee, what were our fairs and rants?
ev'n godly meetings o' the saunts,
by thee inspired,
when gaping they besiege the tents,
are doubly fir'd.
that merry night we get the corn in,
o sweetly, then, thou reams the horn in!
or reekin on a new-year mornin
in cog or bicker,
an' just a wee drap sp'ritual burn in,
an' gusty sucker!
when vulcan gies his bellows breath,
an' ploughmen gather wi' their graith,
o rare! to see thee fizz an freath
i' th' luggit caup!
then burnewines on like death
at every chap.
nae mercy then, for airn or steel;
the brawnie, banie, ploughman chiel,
brings hard owrehip, wi' sturdy wheel,
the strong forehammer,
till block an' studdie ring an reel,
wi' dinsome clamour.
when skirling weanies see the light,
though maks the gossips clatter bright,
how fumblin' cuiffs their dearies slight;
wae worth the name!
nae howdie gets a social night,
or plack frae them.
when neibors anger at a plea,
an' just as wud as wud can be,
how easy can the barley brie
cement the quarrel!
it's aye the cheapest lawyer's fee,
to taste the barrel.
alake! that e'er my muse has reason,
to wyte her countrymen wi' treason!
but mony daily weet their weason
wi' liquors nice,
an' hardly, in a winter season,
e'er spier her price.
wae worth that brandy, burnin trash!
fell source o' mony a pain an' brash!
twins mony a poor, doylt, drucken hash,
o' half his days;
an' sends, beside, auld scotland's cash
to her warst faes.
ye scots, wha wish auld scotland well!
ye chief, to you my tale i tell,
poor, plackless devils like mysel'!
it sets you ill,
wi' bitter, dearthfu' wines to mell,
or foreign gill.
may gravels round his blather wrench,
an' gouts torment him, inch by inch,
what twists his gruntle wi' a glunch
o' sour disdain,
out owre a glass o' whisky-punch
wi' honest men!
o whisky! soul o' plays and pranks!
accept a bardie's gratfu' thanks!
when wanting thee, what tuneless cranks
are my poor verses!
thoues—they rattle in their ranks,
at ither's a-s!
thee, ferintosh! o sadly lost!
scotland lament frae coast to coast!
now colic grips, an' barkin hoast
may kill us a';
for loyal forbes' charter'd boast
is ta'en awa?
thae curst horse-leeches o' the' excise,
wha mak the whisky stells their prize!
haud up thy han', deil! ance, twice, thrice!
there, seize the blinkers!
an' bake them up in brunstane pies
for poor damn'd drinkers.
fortune! if thou'll but gie me still
hale breeks, a scone, an' whisky gill,
an' rowth o' rhyme to rave at will,
tak a' the rest,
an' deal't about as thy blind skill
directs thee best.
Poems and Songs of Robert Burns the auld farmers new-year-morning salutation to his auld mare, maggie 1786
the auld farmer's new-year-morning salutation to his auld mare, maggie
on giving her the accustomed ripp of corn to hansel in the new year.
a guid new-year i wish thee, maggie!
hae, there's a ripp to thy auld baggie:
tho' thou's howe-backit now, an' knaggie,
i've seen the day
thou could hae gaen like ony staggie,
out-owre the lay.
tho' now thou's dowie, stiff, an' cra
an' thy auld hide as white's a daisie,
i've seen thee dappl't, sleek an' glaizie,
a bonie gray:
he should been tight that daur't to raize thee,
ance in a day.
thou ance was i' the foremost rank,
a filly buirdly, steeve, an' swank;
an' set weel down a shapely shank,