Robert Burns: How To Know Him Part 38

The flaunting flow'rs our gardens yield High shelt'ring woods and wa's maun s.h.i.+eld, [walls]

But thou, beneath the random bield [shelter]

O' clod or stane, Adorns the histie stibble-field, [barren]

Unseen, alane.

There, in thy scanty mantle clad, Thy snawy bosom sun-ward spread, Thou lifts thy una.s.suming head In humble guise; But now the share uptears thy bed, And low thou lies!

Such is the fate of artless maid, Sweet flow'ret of the rural shade, By love's simplicity betray'd, And guileless trust, Till she like thee, all soil'd, is laid Low i' the dust.

Such is the fate of simple bard, On life's rough ocean luckless starr'd: Unskilful he to note the card Of prudent lore, Till billows rage, and gales blow hard, And whelm him o'er!

Such fate to suffering worth is giv'n, Who long with wants and woes has striv'n, By human pride or cunning driv'n To mis'ry's brink, Till wrench'd of ev'ry stay but Heav'n, He, ruin'd, sink!

Ev'n thou who mourn'st the Daisy's fate, That fate is thine--no distant date; Stern Ruin's ploughshare drives elate Full on thy bloom, Till crush'd beneath the furrow's weight Shall be thy doom!

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 [welcome with a present]

A guid New-Year I wish thee, Maggie!

Hae, there's a ripp to thy auld baggie: [handful, belly]

Tho' thou's howe-backit now, an' knaggie, [hollow-backed, k.n.o.bby]

I've seen the day, Thou could hae gane like ony staggie [colt]

Out-owre the lay. [Across, lea]

Tho' now thou's dowie, stiff, an' crazy, [drooping]

An' thy auld hide's as white's a daisie, I've seen thee dappled, sleek, an' glaizie, [glossy]

A bonnie gray: He should been tight that daur't to raize thee, [excite]

Ance in a day. [Once]

Thou ance was i' the foremost rank, A filly buirdly, steeve, an' sw.a.n.k, [stately, compact, limber]

An' set weel down a shapely shank, As e'er tread yird; [earth]

An' could hae flown out-owre a stank, [pool]

Like ony bird.

It's now some nine-an-twenty year, Sin' thou was my guid-father's meere; He gied me thee, o' tocher dear, [as dowry]

An' fifty mark; Tho' it was sma', 'twas weel-won gear, [wealth]

An' thou was stark. [strong]

When first I gaed to woo my Jenny, Ye then was trottin' wi' your minnie: [mother]

Tho' ye was trickie, slee, an' funnie, [sly]

Ye ne'er was donsie; [unmanageable]

But hamely, tawie, quiet, an' cannie, [tractable, good tempered]

An' unco sonsie. [very attractive]

That day ye pranc'd wi' muckle pride [much]

When ye bure hame my bonnie bride; [bore]

An' sweet an' gracefu' she did ride, Wi' maiden air!

Kyle-Stewart I could bragged wide [have challenged]

For sic a pair.

Tho' now ye dow but hoyte and hobble, [can only halt]

An' wintle like a saumont-coble, [stagger, salmon-boat]

That day ye was a jinker n.o.ble [goer]

For heels an' win'! [wind]

An' ran them till they a' did wobble Far, far behin'.

When thou an' I were young and skeigh, [skittish]

An' stable-meals at fairs were driegh, [dull]

How thou wad prance, an' snore, an' skriegh [snort, neigh]

An' tak the road!

Town's-bodies ran, and stood abeigh, [aloof]

An' ca't thee mad.

When thou was corn't, an' I was mellow, [full of corn]

We took the road aye like a swallow: At brooses thou had ne'er a fellow [wedding-races]

For pith an' speed; But ev'ry tail thou pay't them hollow, Where'er thou gaed. [went]

The sma', drooped-rumpled hunter cattle, [short-rumped]

Might aiblins waur'd thee for a brattle; [perhaps have beat, spurt]

But sax Scotch miles, thou tried their mettle, An' gart them whaizle; [wheeze]

Nae whip nor spur, but just a wattle O' saugh or hazel. [willow]

Thou was a n.o.ble fittie-lan', [near horse of hindmost pair]

As e'er in tug or tow was drawn! [hide or tow traces]

Aft thee an' I, in aucht hours gaun, [eight, going]

On guid March-weather, Hae turn'd sax rood beside our han', For days thegither.

Thou never braindg't, an' fetch't, an' fliskit, [plunged, stopped, But thy auld tail thou wad hae whiskit, capered]

An' spread abreed thy weel-fill'd brisket, [chest]

Wi' pith an' pow'r, [rooty hillocks, Till spritty knowes wad rair't and riskit, roared, cracked]

An' slypet owre. [fallen gently over]

When frosts lay lang, an' snaws were deep, An' threaten'd labour back to keep, I gied thy cog a wee bit heap [dish]

Aboon the timmer; [edges]

I kenn'd my Maggie wad na sleep For that, or simmer. [ere]

In cart or car thou never reest.i.t; [were restive]

The steyest brae thou wad hae faced it; [steepest]

Thou never lap, an' stenned, an' breast.i.t, [leapt, jumped]

Then stood to blaw; But, just thy step a wee thing hast.i.t, Thou snoov't awa. [jogged along]

My pleugh is now thy bairn-time a', [plough-team, issue]

Four gallant brutes as e'er did draw; Forbye sax mae I've sell't awa [Besides, more, away]

That thou hast nurst: They drew me thretteen pund an' twa, The very warst. [worst]

Mony a sair darg we twa hae wrought, [day's work]

An' wi' the weary warl' fought!