Some rhyme, a neebor's name to lash; An' raise a din; For me, an aim I never fash!" I rhyme for fun. The star that rules my luckless lot, An' damn'd my fortune to the groat;' Has bless'd me wi' a random shot This while my notion's taen a sklent,* Something cries-"Hoolie!" I red you, honest man, tak tent!" Ye'll shaw your folly. "There's ither poets, much your betters, Now moths deform in shapeless tetters Then fareweel hopes o' laurel-boughs, Henceforth I'll rove where busy ploughs And teach the lanely heights an' howes I'll wander on wi' tentless9 heed I'll lay me with th' inglorious dead, Forgot and gone! 1 Country talk.-2 To care for.- Doomed me to poverty.- Aslant.Take time and consider.- Counsel.-7 Take heed.-8 Hollows, or dales.Thoughtless. But why o' death begin a tale? And large, before enjoyment's gale, This life, sae far's I understand, Where pleasure is the magic wand, That, wielded right, Maks hours like minutes, hand in hand, The magic wand then let us wield; Wi' wrinkled face, Come hostin', hirplin', owre the field, When ance life's day draws near the gloamin," An' fareweel, dear, deluding woman, O Life! how pleasant in thy morning, Like school-boys at th' expected warning, We wander there, we wander here, Amang the leaves; And tho' the puny wound appear, Short while it grieves. 1 Once.-2 To climb.-3 Old age.-1 Coughing.—5 Hobbling.—6 Twilight. Some, lucky, find a flowery spot, And, haply, eye the barren hut With high disdain. With steady aim some fortune chase; Then cannie, in some cozie' place, And others, like your humble servan', They zig-zag on; Till curst with age, obscure an' starvin', Alas! what bitter toil an' straining— E'en let her gang! Beneath what light she has remaining My pen I here fling to the door, And kneel, "Ye Powers!" and warm implore, Grant me but this, I ask no more, "Gie dreeping roasts to countra lairds, And yill' an' whisky gie to cairds,* "A title, Dempster merits it; A garter gie to Willie Pitt; Did sweat.-2 Without.-3 Dexterously.-4 Snug.-5 Plenty.- Clothes, - Ale.-8 Tinkers.- Loathe it.-10 George Dempster, Esq., of Dunnichen. "While ye are pleased to keep me hale, As lang's the Muses dinna fail To say the grace." An anxious e'e I never throws Sworn foe to sorrow, care, and prose, O ye douce' folk that live by rule, Your hearts are just a standing pool, Nae hair-brain'd, sentimental traces Ye never stray, But, gravissimo, solemn basses Ye hum away. Ye are sae grave, nae doubt ye 're wise; The harum-scarum, ram-stam boys, The rattlin' squad: I see you upward cast your eyes Ye ken the road. Whilst I-but I shall haud me there- 1 Made of meal and water only.-2 Broth, composed of water, shelled bar ley, and greens.—3 To stoop.-4 Wise.-5 With contempt.-6 Thoughtless. Then, Jamie, I shall say nae mair, Content wi' you to make a pair, TO JOHN LAPRAIK, AN OLD SCOTTISH BARD. APRIL 1, 1785. WHILE briers an' woodbines budding green, This freedom in an unknown frien' On Fasten-e'en we had a rockin'," Ye need nae doubt; At length we had a hearty yokin' There was ae sang," amang the rest, To some sweet wife: 1 Partridges.-2 A hare.-3 Running as a hare does.- Fastens-even. 5 This is a term derived from those primitive times, when the country women employed their leisure hours in spinning on the rock or distaff. This instrument being very portable, was well fitted to accompany its owner to a neighbor's house; hence the phrase of going a rocking or with the rock The connection, however, which the phrase had with the implement was for gotten after the rock gave place to the spinning-wheel, and men talked o. going a-rocking as well as women. It was at one of these rockings, or social parties, that Mr. Lapraik's song was sung. Burns being informed who was the author, wrote his first epistle to Lapraik; and his second in reply to his answer. To call upon some one in the company for a song or a story. 7 The song here alluded to was written by Mr. Lapraik after sustaining a considerable pecuniary loss. In consequence of some connection as security for several persons concerned in the failure of the Ayr bank, he was obliged to sell his farm of Dalfram, near Muirkirk. One day, while his wife was fret |