The Canongate Burns (21 page)

Dear Smith, the sleest, pawkie thief,
slyest, cunning

That e'er attempted stealth or rief!
robbery/plunder

Ye surely hae some warlock-breef
have, wizard-spell

                 Owre human hearts;
over

5
For ne'er a bosom yet was prief
proof

                 Against your arts.

For me, I swear by sun an' moon,

And ev'ry star that blinks aboon,
above

Ye've cost me twenty pair o' shoon,
shoes

10
                  Just gaun to see you;
going

And ev'ry ither pair that's done,
other

                 Mair taen I'm wi' you.
more taken

That auld, capricious carlin,
Nature
,
hag

To mak amends for scrimpit stature,
make, stunted

15
She's turn'd you off, a human-creature

                 On her
first
plan;

And in her freaks, on ev'ry feature

                 She's wrote
the Man
.

Just now I've taen the fit o' rhyme,
taken

20
My barmie noddle's working prime,
excited head/brain

My fancy yerket up sublime,
pulled together

                 Wi' hasty summon:

Hae ye a leisure-moment's time
have

                 To hear what's comin?

25
Some rhyme a neebor's name to lash;
neighbour

Some rhyme (vain thought!) for needfu' cash;

Some rhyme to court the countra clash,
country gossip

                 An' raise a din;

For me, an
aim
I never fash;
think of

30
                  I rhyme for
fun
.

The star that rules my luckless lot,

Has fated me the russet coat,
poor man's coat

An' damn'd my fortune to the groat;
smallest coin

                 But, in requit,
as compensation

35
Has blest me with a
random-shot

                 O' countra wit.
country

This while my notion's taen a sklent,
taken a turn/bend

To try my fate in guid, black
prent
;
good, print

But still the mair I'm that way bent,
more

40
                  Something cries, ‘Hoolie!
halt

I red you, honest man, tak tent!
warn, heed

                 Ye'll shaw your folly:
show

‘There's ither Poets, much your betters,
other

Far seen in
Greek
, deep men o'
letters
,
well versed

45
Hae thought they had ensur'd their debtors,
have

                 A' future ages;

Now moths deform, in shapeless tatters,

                 Their unknown pages.'

Then farewell hopes o' Laurel-boughs

50
To garland my poetic brows!

Henceforth, I'll rove where busy ploughs

                 Are whistling thrang;
busily/at work

An' teach the lanely heights an' howes
lonely hills and dales

                 My rustic sang.
song

55
I'll wander on, wi' tentless heed
carefree

How never-halting moments speed,

Till Fate shall snap the brittle thread;

                 Then, all unknown,

I'll lay me with th'
inglorious dead
,

60
                   Forgot and gone!

But why o' Death, begin a tale?

Just now we're living sound an' hale;
strong

Then top and maintop croud the sail,
crowd

                 Heave
Care
o'er-side!

65
And large, before Enjoyment's gale,

                 Let's tak the tide.

This life, sae far's I understand,
so

Is a' enchanted fairy-land,

Where Pleasure is the Magic-wand,

70
                 That, wielded right,

Maks Hours like Minutes, hand in hand,
makes

                 Dance by fu' light.

The
magic-wand
then let us wield;

For, ance that five-an'-forty's speel'd,
once, climbed/reached

75
See, crazy, weary, joyless, Eild,
old age

                 Wi' wrinkl'd face,

Comes hostin, hirplan owre the field,
coughing, limping over

                 Wi' creepin pace.

When ance
life's day
draws near the gloamin,
once, twilight

80
Then fareweel vacant, careless roamin;
farewell

An' fareweel chearfu' tankards foamin,

                 An' social noise:

An' fareweel dear, deluding Woman,

                 The joy of joys!

85
O
Life
! how pleasant, in thy morning,

Young Fancy's rays the hills adorning!

Cold-pausing Caution's lesson scorning,

                 We frisk away,

Like school-boys, at th' expected warning,

90
                 To joy an' play.

We wander there, we wander here,

We eye the
rose
upon the brier,

Unmindful that the
thorn
is near,

                 Among the leaves;

95
And tho' the puny wound appear,

                 Short while it grieves.

Some, lucky, find a flow'ry spot,

For which they never toil'd nor swat;
sweated

They drink the
sweet
and eat the
fat
,

100
                 But care or pain;
without

And haply eye the barren hut

                 With high disdain.

With steady aim, some Fortune chase;

Keen Hope does ev'ry sinew brace;

105
Thro' fair, thro' foul, they urge the race,

                 And seize the prey:

Then cannie, in some cozie place,
quietly, snug

                 They close the
day
.

And others, like your humble servan',

110
Poor wights
! nae rules nor roads observin,
no

To right or left eternal swervin,

                 They zig-zag on;

Till, curst with Age, obscure an' starvin,

                 They aften groan.
often

115
Alas! what bitter toil an' straining —

But truce with peevish, poor complaining!

Is Fortune's fickle
Luna
waning?

                 E'en let her gang!
go

Beneath what light she has remaining,

120
                  Let's sing our Sang.
song

My pen I here fling to the door,

And kneel, ye
Pow'rs
, and warm implore,

‘Tho' I should wander
Terra
o'er,
world

                 In all her climes,

125
Grant me but this, I ask no more,

                 Ay rowth o' rhymes.
abundant

‘Gie dreeping roasts to
countra Lairds
,
give dripping, country

Till icicles hing frae their beards;
hang from

Gie fine braw claes to fine
Life-guards
give, handsome clothes

130
                 And
Maids of Honor
;

And yill an' whisky gie to Cairds,
ale, give, tinkers

                 Until they sconner.
are sick of it

‘A
Title
, DEMPSTER merits it;

A Garter gie to WILLIE PIT;
symbol of Knighthood, give

135
Gie Wealth to some be-ledger'd Cit,
give, accounting citizen

                 In cent per cent;

But give me real, sterling Wit,

                 And I'm content

‘While ye are pleas'd to keep me hale,
healthy

140
I'll sit down o'er my scanty meal,

Be't
water-brose
or
muslin-kail
,
gruel, meatless broth

                 Wi' cheerfu' face,

As lang's the Muses dinna fail
long, do not

                 To say the grace.'

145
An anxious e'e I never throws
eye

Behint my lug, or by my nose;
behind, ear

I jouk beneath Misfortune's blows
dodge/duck

                 As weel's I may;
well as

Sworn foe to
sorrow, care
, and
prose
,

150
                  I rhyme away.

O ye douce folk that live by rule,
serious/sober

Grave, tideless-blooded, calm an' cool,
no rise & fall of passions

Compar'd wi' you — O fool! fool! fool!

                 How much unlike!

155
Your hearts are just a standing pool,

                 Your lives, a dyke!
stone wall

Nae hair-brained, sentimental traces
no

In your unletter'd, nameless faces!

In
arioso
trills and graces

160
                 Ye never stray;

But
gravissímo
, solemn basses

                 Ye hum away.

Ye are sae
grave
, nae doubt ye're
wise
;
so, no

Nae ferly tho' ye do despise
no wonder

165
The hairum-scairum, ram-stam boys,
wild, headlong

                 The rattling squad:

I see ye upward cast your eyes —

                 Ye ken the road!
know

Whilst I — but I shall haud me there,
hold

170
Wi' you I'll scarce gang
ony where
—
go any

Then,
Jamie
, I shall say nae mair,
no more

                 But quat my sang,
quit, song

Content wi' YOU to mak a
pair
,
make

                 Whare'er I gang.
go