A Night Out with Burns (6 page)

Castalia's burn an' a' that,

But there it streams an' richly reams,

My H
ELICON
I ca' that.

For a' that, &c.

Great love I bear to all the F
AIR
,

Their humble slave and a' that;

But lordly W
ILL
, I hold it still

A mortal sin to thraw that.

For a' that, &c.

In raptures sweet this hour we meet,

Wi' mutual love an' a' that;

But for how lang the
FLIE MAY STANG
,

L
ET
I
NCLINATION
law that.

For a' that, &c.

Their tricks an' craft hae put me daft,

They've ta'en me in, an' a' that,

But clear your decks an' here's the
SEX
!

I like the jads for a' that.

For a' that an' a' that

An' twice as muckle's a' that,

My
DEAREST BLUID
to do them guid,

They're welcome till't for a' that.

R
ECITATIVO

So sang the B
ARD
—and Nansie's waws

Shook with a thunder of applause

Re-echo'd from each mouth!

They toom'd their pocks, they pawn'd their duds,

They scarcely left to coor their fuds

To quench their lowan drouth:

Then owre again the jovial thrang

The Poet did request

To lowse his pack an' wale a sang,

A
BALLAD
o' the best.

He, rising, rejoicing,

Between his
TWA
D
EBORAHS
,

Looks round him an' found them

Impatient for the Chorus.

A
IR

See the smoking bowl before us,

Mark our jovial, ragged ring!

Round and round take up the Chorus,

And in raptures let us sing—

C
HORUS

A fig for those by law protected!

L
IBERTY
's a glorious feast!

Courts for Cowards were erected,

Churches built to please the P
RIEST
.

What is
TITLE
, what is
TREASURE
,

What is
REPUTATION
's care?

If we lead a life of pleasure,

'Tis no matter
HOW
or
WHERE
.

A fig, &c.

With the ready trick and fable

Round we wander all the day;

And at night, in barn or stable,

Hug our doxies on the hay.

A fig, &c.

Does the train-attended C
ARRIAGE

Thro' the country lighter rove?

Does the sober bed of M
ARRIAGE

Witness brighter scenes of love?

A fig, &c.

Life is al a
VARIORUM
,

We regard not how it goes;

Let them cant about
DECORUM
,

Who have character to lose.

A fig, &c.

Here's to B
UDGETS
, B
AGS
and W
ALLETS
!

Here's to all the wandering train!

Here's our ragged B
RATS
and C
ALLETS
!

One and all cry out, A
MEN
!

A fig for those by Law protected,

L
IBERTY
's a glorious feast!

C
OURTS
for Cowards were erected,

C
HURCHES
built to please the Priest.

The deil cam fiddlin thro' the town,

And danc'd awa wi' th' Exciseman;

And ilka wife cries, auld Mahoun,

I wish you luck o' the prize, man.

C
HORUS

The deil's awa, the deil's awa,

The deil's awa wi' th' Exciseman,

He's danc'd awa, he's danc'd awa,

He's danc'd awa wi' th' Exciseman.

We'll mak our maut and we'll brew our drink,

We'll laugh, sing, and rejoice, man;

And mony braw thanks to the meikle black deil,

That danc'd awa wi' th' Exciseman.

The deil's awa, &c.

There's threesome reels, there's foursome reels,

There's hornpipes and strathspeys, man,

But the ae best dance e'er cam to the Land

Was, the deil's awa wi' th' Exciseman.

The deil's awa, &c.

O Willie brew'd a peck o' maut,

And Rob and Allan cam to see;

Three blyther hearts, that lee lang night,

Ye wad na found in Christendie.

C
HORUS

We are na fou, we're nae that fou,

But just a drappie in our e'e;

The cock may craw, the day may daw,

And ay we'll taste the barley bree.

Here are we met, three merry boys,

Three merry boys I trow are we;

And mony a night we've merry been,

And mony mae we hope to be!

We are na fou, &c.

It is the moon, I ken her horn,

That's blinkin in the lift sae hie;

She shines sae bright to wyle us hame,

But by my sooth she'll wait a wee!

We are na fou, &c.

Wha first shall rise to gang awa,

A cuckold, coward loun is he!

Wha first beside his chair shall fa',

He is the king amang us three!

We are na fou, &c.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne!

C
HORUS

For auld lang syne, my jo,

For auld lang syne,

We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet

For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!

And surely I'll be mine!

And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,

For auld lang syne.

For auld, &c.

We twa hae run about the braes,

And pou'd the gowans fine;

But we've wander'd mony a weary fitt,

Sin auld lang syne.

For auld, &c.

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,

Frae morning sun till dine;

But seas between us braid hae roar'd,

Sin auld lang syne.

For auld, &c.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!

And gie's a hand o' thine!

And we'll tak a right gude-willie-waught,

For auld lang syne.

For auld, &c.

My Son, these maxims make a rule
,

And lump them ay thegither;

The
Rigid Righteous
is a fool
,

The
Rigid Wise
anither
:

The cleanest corn that e'er was dight

May hae some pyles o' caff in;

So ne'er a fellow-creature slight

For random fits o' daffin.

Solomon—Eccles., vii:16

O ye wha are sae guid yoursel,

Sae pious and sae holy,

Ye've nought to do but mark and tell

Your Neebours' fauts and folly!

Whase life is like a weel-gaun mill,

Supply'd wi' store o' water,

The heaped happer's ebbing still,

And still the clap plays clatter.

Hear me, ye venerable Core,

As counsel for poor mortals,

That frequent pass douce Wisdom's door

For glaikit Folly's portals;

I, for their thoughtless, careless sakes

Would here propone defences,

Their donsie tricks, their black mistakes,

Their failings and mischances.

Ye see your state wi' theirs compar'd,

And shudder at the niffer,

But cast a moment's fair regard

What maks the mighty differ;

Discount what scant occasion gave,

That purity ye pride in,

And (what's aft mair than a' the lave)

Your better art o' hiding.

Think, when your castigated pulse

Gies now and then a wallop,

What ragings must his veins convulse,

That still eternal gallop:

Wi' wind and tide fair i' your tail,

Right on ye scud your sea-way;

But, in the teeth o' baith to sail,

It maks an unco leeway.

See Social-life and Glee sit down,

All joyous and unthinking,

Till, quite transmugrify'd, they're grown

Debauchery and Drinking:

O would they stay to calculate

Th' eternal consequences;

Or your more dreaded hell to state,

Damnation of expences!

Ye high, exalted, virtuous Dames,

Ty'd up in godly laces,

Before ye gie poor
Frailty
names,

Suppose a change o' cases;

A dear-lov'd lad, convenience snug,

A treacherous inclination—

But, let me whisper i' your lug,

Ye're aiblins nae temptation.

Then gently scan your brother Man,

Still gentler sister Woman;

Tho' they may gang a kennin wrang,

To step aside is human:

One point must still be greatly dark,

The moving
Why
they do it;

And just as lamely can ye mark,

How far perhaps they rue it.

Who made the heart,' tis
He
alone

Decidedly can try us,

He knows each chord its various tone,

Each spring its various bias:

Then at the balance let's be mute,

We never can adjust it;

What's
done
we partly may compute,

But know not what's
resisted
.