LITMIR.BIZ

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An’ tho’ yon lowin heugh’s thy hame,

       Thou travels far;

       An’, faith! thou’s neither lag nor lame,

       Nor blate nor scaur.

      Whyles, ranging like a roaring lion,

       For prey, a’ holes an’ corners tryin;

       Whyles, on the strong-winged tempest flyin,

       Tirlin the kirks;

       Whiles, in the human bosom pryin,

       Unseen thou lurks.

      I’ve heard my reverend Graunie say,

       In lanely glens ye like to stray;

       Or where auld-ruin’d castles, gray,

       Nod to the moon,

       Ye fright the nightly wand’rer’s way

       Wi’ eldricht croon.

      When twilight did my Graunie summon,

       To say her prayers, douce, honest woman!

       Aft yont the dyke she’s heard you bummin,

       Wi’ eerie drone;

       Or, rustlin, thro’ the boortries comin,

       Wi’ heavy groan.

      Ae dreary, windy, winter night,

       The stars shot down wi’ sklentin light,

       Wi’ you, mysel, I gat a fright

       Ayont the lough;

       Ye, like a rash-buss, stood in sight,

       Wi’ waving sough.

      The cudgel in my nieve did shake.

       Each bristl’d hair stood like a stake,

       When wi’ an eldritch, stoor quaick—quaick—

       Amang the springs,

       Awa ye squatter’d, like a drake,

       On whistling wings.

      Let warlocks grim, an’ wither’d hags,

       Tell how wi’ you, on rag weed nags,

       They skim the muirs an’ dizzy crags

       Wi’ wicked speed;

       And in kirk-yards renew their leagues

       Owre howkit dead.

      Thence countra wives, wi’ toil an’ pain,

       May plunge an’ plunge the kirn in vain:

       For, oh! the yellow treasure’s taen

       By witching skill;

       An’ dawtit, twal-pint hawkie’s gaen

       As yell’s the bill.

      Thence mystic knots mak great abuse

       On young guidmen, fond, keen, an’ crouse;

       When the best wark-lume i’ the house

       By cantrip wit,

       Is instant made no worth a louse,

       Just at the bit,

      When thowes dissolve the snawy hoord,

       An’ float the jinglin icy-boord,

       Then water-kelpies haunt the foord,

       By your direction;

       An’ nighted trav’llers are allur’d

       To their destruction.

      An’ aft your moss-traversing spunkies

       Decoy the wight that late an’ drunk is,

       The bleezin, curst, mischievous monkeys

       Delude his eyes,

       Till in some miry slough he sunk is,

       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 brother 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 sward,

       In shady bow’r:

      Then you, ye auld, snick-drawing dog!

       Ye came to Paradise incog.

       An’ play’d on man a cursed brogue,

       (Black be your fa’!)

       An’ gied the infant world a shog,

       ‘Maist ruin’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’ hall,

       While scabs an’ botches did him gall,

       Wi’ bitter claw,

       An’ lows’d his ill tongu’d, wicked scawl,

       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 tongue, 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 ye well, auld Nickie-ben!

       O wad ye tak a thought an’ men’!

       Ye aiblins might—I dinna ken—

       Still hae a stake—

       I’m wae to think upo’ yon den

       Ev’n for your sake!

      

“AULD MARE MAGGIE.”

VII.

       Table of Contents

      THE AULD FARMER’S

      NEW-YEAR MORNING SALUTATION TO HIS

      AULD MARE MAGGIE,

       Table of Contents

      ON GIVING HER THE ACCUSTOMED RIPP OF CORN TO HANSEL IN THE NEW YEAR

      [“Whenever Burns has occasion,” says Hogg, “to address or mention any subordinate being, however mean, even a mouse or a flower, then

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