by Robert Burns
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun!
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
Sae Flaxen Were Her Ringlets
(TUNE: OONAGH’S WATERFALL)
Sae flaxen were her ringlets,
Her eyebrows of a darker hue,
Bewitchingly o’erarching
Twa laughing een o’ bonie blue;
Her smiling, sae wyling,
Wad make a wretch forget his woe;
What pleasure, what treasure,
Unto these rosy lips to grow:
Such was my Chloris’ bonie face,
When first her bonie face I saw;
And ay my Chloris’ dearest charm,
She says, she lo’es me best of a’.
Like harmony her motion;
Her pretty ancle is a spy,
Betraying fair proportion,
Wad make a saint forget the sky.
Sae warming, sae charming,
Her fauteless form and gracefu’ air;
Ilk feature – auld Nature
Declar’d that she could do nae mair:
Hers are the willing chains o’ love,
By conquering Beauty’s sovereign law;
And ay my Chloris’ dearest charm,
She says, she lo’es me best of a’.
Let others love the city,
And gaudy shew at sunny noon;
Give me the lonely valley,
The dewy eve, and rising moon.
Fair beaming, and streaming
Her silver light the boughs among;
While falling, recalling,
The amorous thrush concludes his sang;
There, dearest Chloris, wilt thou rove
By wimpling burn and leafy shaw,
And hear my vows o’ truth and love,
And say, thou lo’es me best of a’.
Ode to Spring
(TUNE: THE TITHER MORN)
When maukin bucks, at early f–s,
In dewy glens are seen, Sir;
And birds, on boughs, take off their m–s,
Amang the leaves sae green, Sir;
Latona’s sun looks liquorish on
Dame Nature’s grand impètus,
Till his p–go rise, then westward flies
To r–ger Madame Thetis.
Yon wandering rill that marks the hill,
And glances o’er the brae, Sir,
Slides by a bower where many a flower
Sheds fragrance on the day, Sir;
There Damon lay with Sylvia gay,
To love they thought no crime, Sir;
The wild-birds sang, the echoes rang,
While Damon’s a–se beat time, Sir.
First, wi’ the thrush, his thrust and push
Had compass large and long, Sir;
The blackbird next, his tuneful text,
Was bolder, clear and strong, Sir:
The linnet’s lay came then in play,
And the lark that soar’d aboon, Sir;
Till Damon, fierce, mistim’d his a–,
And f–’d quite out o’ tune, Sir.
Is There for Honest Poverty
(TUNE: FOR A’ THAT)
Is there for honest poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that?
The coward slave, we pass him by –
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an a’ that,
Our toils obscure, an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The man’s the gowd for a’ that.
What tho’ on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hodden grey, an’ a’ that?
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine –
A man’s a man for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that,
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.
Ye see yon birkie ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, and stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that,
The man o’ independent mind,
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that,
But an honest man’s aboon his might –
Gude faith, he mauna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities, an a’ that,
The pith o’ sense an’ pride o’ worth
Are higher rank than a’ that.
Then let us pray that come it may –
As come it will, for a’ that –
That sense and worth, o’er a’ the earth
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that;
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s comin yet for a’ that,
That man to man the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.
Kirkcudbright Grace
Some have meat and cannot eat,
Some cannot eat that want it:
But we have meat and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.
Charlie He’s My Darling
’Twas on a Monday morning,
Right early in the year,
That Charlie cam to our town,
The young Chevalier.
An’ Charlie he’s my darling,
My darling, my darling,
Charlie he’s my darling, the young Chevalier.
As he was walking up the street,
The city for to view,
O there he spied a bonie lass
The window looking thro’. – An’ Charlie &c.
Sae light’s he jimped up the stair,
And tirled at the pin;
And wha sae ready as hersel,
To let the laddie in. – An’ Charlie &c.
He set his Jenny on his knee,
All in his Highland dress;
For brawlie weel he ken’d the way
To please a bonie lass. – An’ Charlie &c.
It’s up yon hethery mountain,
And down yon scroggy glen,
We daur na gang a milking,
For Charlie and his men. – An’ Charlie &c.
Glossary
a’: all
aboon: above
agley: aslant, wrong
aiblins: perhaps
ain: own
airn: iron
aith: oath
aits: oats
ane: one
asklent: askew, awry
auldfarran: sagacious, prudent
ava: at all, of all
awnie: bearded
ayont: beyond
baith: both
bane: bone
banie: big-boned, muscular
bear the gree: to win the victory
beese: vermin
ben: in
benmost: innermost
bicker: wooden dish
bien: prosperous, comfortable
big: to build
bill: bull
billie: fellow, comrade
birk: birch
birkie: clever fellow
birsies: bristles
bizz: bustle
blate: bashful
blather: bladder
bleezan: blazing
blellum: babbler, idle-talking fellow
bleth’ran: talking idly
blink: a while, moment
blue-boram: English slang for syphilis
boddle: old copper coin (worth two Scottish pennies)
bogle: hobgoblin
bonie (bony): bonny, beautiful
bonnock: thick cake of bread or oatmeal
boord: board
boord-en’: head of the table
boortries: shrub-elder
; bore: small hole
botch: angry tumour
bousing: drinking
brae: slope of a hill, river bank
braid: broad
brash: sudden, brief illness
brats: small pieces, rags, children
brattle: short race, hurry
braw: handsome, finely dressed
breeks: breeches
brunstane: brimstone
buckler: helmet strap
bumman: humming
burnewin: blacksmith
buskit: well dressed
butt an’ ben: kitchen and parlour
byke: beehive
cadie: messenger
callor: fresh, cool
cantharidian: of cantharides, Spanish fly (aphrodisiac)
cantie: cheerful, lively
cantraip: spell, charm
cape-stane: copestone, keystone
carlin: stout old woman
cauld: cold
caup: wooden cup
cesses: taxes
chantan: chanting
chapman billies: pedlar fellows
chow: to chew
chuffie: fat-faced
claes (claise): clothes
claithing: clothing
clatter: an idle story
claymore: sword
cleekit: linked together
clinkumbell: church bell-ringer
cog: wooden dish
collieshangie: quarrelling
cood: cud
coof: blockhead, ninny
cootie: wooden dish
cotter: inhabitant of a cottage
coulter: iron blade at front of a ploughshare
countra: country
cour: fold, duck down
cranreuch: hoar-frost
craps: crop
creeshie: greasy
croose: proud, cocksure
crowdie: oatmeal with water, or milk
crowdie-time: breakfast-time, mealtime
crowlan: crawling
crummock: crooked-horned cow
crump: hard, brittle (of bread)
curchie: curtsy
cushat: dove or wood pigeon
daffin: merriment
dail: plank
daimen-icker: occasional ear of corn
daur: to dare
daut: to fondle, caress
dawd: large portion
dawtet: fondled
deave: to deafen
deil: devil
dight: to wipe
ding: to excel, surpass
dinna: do not
ditty: reproof
dool: sorrow
dorty: saucy
doup-skelper: bottom-slapper
douse: sober, wise, prudent
dow: can
dowff: lacking in spirit
dowie: sad, lonesome
doylt: stupid, crazed
droddum: breech, backside
droukit: soaked, drenched
drumlie: muddy
dub: pool, puddle
duds: rags
dung: worsted, subdued
dunts: blows
durk: dagger
dyvors: bankrupts
e’e: eye
een: eyes, evening
eldritch: frightful
Embro: Edinburgh
ettle: to try, intent
fa’: fall
faem: foam
fairing: desserts, present from a fair
farl: cake of bread or oats
fash: trouble, care
fatt’rels: ribbon ends
fausont: decent
fechtin: fighting
feck: many, plenty, the greater bulk
fell: keen, biting
ferlie: wonder, to marvel
fient: fiend
flaffan: flapping
flainen: flannel
foggage: coarse grass grown for winter feed
fou: full, drunk
frae: from
fu’: full
furm: form, wooden bench
furr: furrow
fyke: to fret, in a fuss
gaed: went
gane: gone
gar: to make, to compel
gash: wise
gat: got, received
gate: way, manner
gaunt: to yawn
gawsie: jolly, large
gaylies: adequately, pretty well
gear: goods, wealth
get: a child, issue
gie: to give
gill: Scots measure
gin: if, by, against
gizz: face
glaikit: foolish
glib-gabbet: smooth-talking
glintan: shining briefly
glunch: to frown
gowan: daisy, dandelion
gowd: gold
grain: to groan
graith: harness, equipment
greetan: weeping
greives: farm overseer
groat: small coin
grozet: gooseberry
grutten: wept
gude-willie-waught: a drink with great good will
guid: good
guidman: master of the house
guidwife: mistress of the house
ha’: hall
haffet: side of the head, temple
hafflins: halfway
hald: hold, resting place
hallions: rascals, rogues
hame: home
hap-step-an’-loup: hop, skip and leap
harn: coarse linen
haughs: low-lying meadow
hawkie: cow
hearse: hoarse
herriet: robbed
het: hot
heugh: hollow
hirplan: creeping, limping
histie: dry, barren
hizzy: hussy
hoast: cough
hoddan: hobbling
hodden: coarse grey woollen cloth
houghmagandie: fornication
houlet: owl
howcket: digged
howe: hollow, dale
hurdies: hips, buttocks
ilka: each, every
jad: jade, worthless nag
jaup: to splash
jink: to dodge
jinkan: dodging
jo: sweetheart
kae: jackdaw
kebbuck: cheese
keek: to peep
keekit: peeped
ken: to know
kent: knew
ket: fleece
kintra (kintry): country
kintra cooser: travelling stallion
kirk: church
kirn: churn
kittle: to tickle
knowe: hillock
kyte: belly
laith: loath
lanely: lonely
lave: the rest, the others
lav’rock: lark
lear: learning
leeze me: a phrase of congratulation or endearment
leuk: to look
libbet: castrated
linkan: tripping
linket: tripped
loof: palm of the hand
lough: lake
lour: look threateningly, impending
lowan: flaming
lowe: flame
lowp: to leap
lug: ear
luggies: wooden dish with handles
lyart: grey
mailen: farm
maist: most
manteele: mantle
mashlum: mixed corn
maukin: hare
maun: must
mell: to meddle
melvie: to soil with meal
mense: manners, decorum
mim: prim
moil: labour
mony (monie): many
mou: mouth
muckle: great, big
mutchkin: English pint
na: not
nane: none
nappy: ale
neist: next
neuk (newk): nook, corner
nieve: fist
nit: nut
> nowt: cattle
ony (onie): any
owrehip: overarm hammer strike
painch: stomach
pattle: plough spade
penny-wheep: small beer
phiz: face
pirratch: porridge
plack: old Scottish coin (worth one third of a Scottish penny)
plackless: penniless
pleugh-pettle: plough-staff
pliskie: trick
poin’d: to seize
poortith: poverty
pou’d: pulled
pow: head
queir: choir
raep: rope
raible: to talk nonsense
rass-buss: bush of rushes
rattlan: rattling
raucle: rash, fearless
rax: to stretch
ream: to froth
reaming: brimful, frothing
reck: to heed
rede: to advise, counsel
red-wud: stark mad
reek: to smoke, smoke
reekan: smoking
reekit: smoked
reestet: scorched
remead: remedy
rigwoodie: coarse, tough