Ye high, exalted, virtuous dames, A dear loved lad, convenience snug, 45 Then gently scan your brother man, To step aside is human: One point must still be greatly dark, How far perhaps they rue it. Who made the heart, 'tis He alone He knows each chord, its various tone, We never can adjust it; What's done we partly can compute, But know not what's resisted. TAM O' SHANTER A TALE 50 55 60 O Tam! had'st thou but been sae wise Or catched wi' warlocks in the mirk, Ah, gentle dames! it gars 10 me greet,11 To think how monie counsels sweet, How monie lengthened sage advices, The husband frae the wife despises! .14 30 35 41 But to our tale:-Ae market night, Tam had got planted unco right, Fast by an ingle, 12 bleezing finely, Wi' reaming swats13 that drank divinely; And at his elbow, Souter Johnie, His ancient, trusty, drouthy cronie: Tam lo'ed him like a very brither;1 They had been fou for weeks thegither. The night drave on wi' sangs and clatter; And ay the ale was growing better: The landlady and Tam grew gracious Wi' secret favors, sweet and precious: The souter15 tauld his queerest stories; The landlord's laugh was ready chorus: 50 The storm without might rair and rustle, Tam did na mind the storm a whistle. 46 Care, mad to see a man sae happy, E'en drowned himsel amang the nappy: As bees flee hame wi' lades o' treasure, 55 The minutes winged their way wi' pleasure; Kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious, O'er a' the ills o' life victorious! But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed; 60 Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white-then melts forever; 1 rascal. 2 prattler. 3 one. 4 every. 5 grinding. • nag. 7 shod. 8 wizards. • dark. 10 makes. 11 weep. 12 fireside. 13 foaming ale. 14 brother. 15 cobbler. .23 By this time he was cross the ford, Whare in the snaw the chapman smoored;20 And past the birks21 and meikle22 stane, 91 Whare drunken Charlie brak's neck-bane;2 And thro' the whins,24 and by the cairn,25 Whare hunters fand the murdered bairn;26 And near the thorn, aboon27 the well, Whare Mungo's mither hanged hersel. Before him Doon pours all his floods; The doubling storm roars thro' the woods; The lightnings flash from pole to pole, Near and more near the thunders roll; 100 When, glimmering thro' the groaning trees 95 Till roof and rafters a' did dirl.13. And by some devilish cantraip14 sleight 17 16 130 A murderer's banes in gibbet airns;15 140 A' plump and strapping in their teens! Their sarks, instead o' creeshie28 flannen,29 Been snaw-white seventeen hunder linen! Thir30 breeks o' mine, my only pair, 155 37 165 35 170 There was ae winsome wench and wawlie, Till first ae caper, syne44 anither, 190 |