EpistleToDavie,ABrotherPoet

1785

epistletodavie,abrotherpoet

january

whilewindsfraeaffben-lomondblaw,

an'barthedoorswi'drivingsnaw,

an'hingusowretheingle,

isetmedowntopassthetime,

an'spinaverseortwao'rhyme,

inhamely,westlinjingle.

whilefrostywindsblawinthedrift,

bentothechimlalug,

igrudgeaweethegreat-folk'sgift,

thatlivesaebienan'snug:

itentless,andwantless

theirroomyfire-side;

buthanker,andcanker,

toseetheircursedpride.

it'shardlyinabody'spow'r

tokeep,attimes,fraebeingsour,

toseehowthingsareshar'd;

howbesto'chielsarewhilesinwant,

whilecoofsoncountlessthousandsrant,

andkennahowtowair't;

but,davie,lad,ne'erfashyourhead,

tho'wehaelittlegear;

we'refittowinourdailybread,

aslang'swe'rehaleandfier:

“mairspierna,norfearna,”

auldagene'ermindafeg;

thelasto't,thewarsto't

isonlybuttobeg.

tolieinkilnsandbarnsate'en,

whenbanesarecraz'd,andbluidisthin,

isdoubtless,greatdistress!

yetthencontentcouldmakeusblest;

ev'nthen,sometimes,we'dsnatchataste

oftruesthappiness.

thehonestheartthat'sfreefraea'

intendedfraudorguile,

howeverfortunekicktheba',

hasayesomecausetosmile;

an'mindstill,you'llfindstill,

acomfortthisnaesma';

naemairthenwe'llcarethen,

naefarthercanwefa'.

whattho',likecommonersofair,

wewanderout,weknownotwhere,

buteitherhouseorhal',

yetnature'scharms,thehillsandwoods,

thesweepingvales,andfoamingfloods,