| Burns Original |
Standard English Translation |
Address to the Unco Guid,
Or the Rigidly Righteous. |
Address to the Uncommonly Good,
Or the Rigidly Righteous. |
My son, these maxims make a rule,
An' lump them ay thegither:
The Rigid Righteous is a fool,
The Rigid Wise anither;
The cleanest corn that e'er was dight
May hae some pyles o' caff in;
So ne'er a fellow-creature slight
For random fits o' daffin.
Solomon. (Ecclesiastes vii. 16)* |
My son, these maxims make a rule,
And lump them all together:
The Rigid Righteous is a fool,
The Rigid Wise an other;
The cleanest corn that ever was sifted
May have some pieces of chaff in;
So never a fellow creature slight
For random fits of merriment.
Solomon. (Ecclesiastes vii. 16) |
O ye, wha are sae guid yoursel,
Sae pious and sae holy,
Ye've nought to do but mark and tell
Your neebours' fauts and folly,
Whase life is like a weel-gaun mill,
Supplied wi' store o' water,
The heapet happer's ebbing still,
An' still the clap plays clatter! |
O you, who are so good yourself,
So pious and so holy,
You have nothing to do but mark and tell
Your neighbours' faults and folly,
Whose life is like a well going mill,
Supplied with a store of water,
The heaped hopper's ebbing still,
And still the clap plays clatter! |
Hear me, ye venerable core,
As counsel for poor mortals
That frequent pass douce Wisdom's door
For glaikit Folly's portals:
I for their thoughtless, careless sakes
Would here propone defences --
Their donsie tricks, their black mistakes,
Their failings and mischances. |
Hear me, you venerable core,
As counsel for poor mortals
That frequent pass sober Wisdom's door
For thoughtless Folly's portals:
I for their thoughtless, careless sakes
Would here propone defenses -
Their stupid tricks, their black mistakes,
Their failings and mischances. |
Ye see your state wi' theirs compared,
And shudder at the niffer;
But cast a moment's fair regard,
What makes the mighty differ?
Discount what scant occasion gave;
That purity ye pride in;
And (what's aft mair than a' the lave)
Your better art o' hidin. |
You see your state with theirs compared,
And shudder at the exchange;
But cast a moment's fair regard,
What makes the mighty different?
Discount what scant occasion gave;
That purity you pride in;
And (what's often more than all the rest)
Your better art of hiding. |
Think, when your castigated pulse
Gies now and then a wallop,
What ragings must his veins convulse,
That still eternal gallop!
Wi' wind and tide fair i' your tail,
Right on ye scud your sea-way;
But in the teeth o' baith to sail,
It makes an unco lee-way. |
Think, when your castigated pulse
Gives now and then a wallop,
What ragings must his veins convulse,
That still eternal gallop!
With wind and tide fair in your tail,
Right on you scud your sea-way;
But in the teeth of both to sail,
It makes an uncommon leeway. |
See Social-life and Glee sit down
All joyous and unthinking,
Till, quite transmugrify'd, they're grown
Debauchery and Drinking:
O, would they stay to calculate,
Th' eternal consequences,
Or - your more dreaded hell to state -
Damnation of expenses! |
See Social-life and Glee sit down
All joyous and unthinking,
Till, quite transmogrified, they are grown
Debauchery and Drinking:
O, would they stay to calculate,
The eternal consequences,
Or - your more dreaded hell to state -
Damnation of expenses! |
Ye high, exalted, virtuous dames,
Tied up in godly laces,
Before ye gie poor Frailty names,
Suppose a change o' cases:
A dear-lov'd lad, convenience snug,
A treach'rous inclination--
But, let me whisper i' your lug,
Ye're aiblins nae temptation. |
You high, exalted, virtuous dames,
Tied up in godly laces,
Before you give poor Frailty names,
Suppose a change of cases:
A dear-loved lad, convenience snug,
A treacherous inclination--
But, let me whisper in your ear,
You are maybe no temptation. |
Then gently scan your brother man,
Still gentler sister woman;
Tho' they may gang a kennin wrang,
To step aside is human:
One point must still be greatly dark,
The moving why they do it;
And just as lamely can ye mark
How far perhaps they rue it. |
Then gently scan your brother man,
Still gentler sister woman;
Though they may go a little wrong,
To step aside is human:
One point must still be greatly dark,
The moving why they do it;
And just as lamely can you mark
How far perhaps they rue it. |
Who made the heart, 'tis He alone
Decidedly can try us:
He knows each chord, its various tone,
Each spring, its various bias:
Then at the balance let's be mute,
We never can adjust it;
What's done we partly may compute,
But know not what's resisted. |
Who made the heart, it is He alone
Decidedly can try us:
He knows each chord, its various tone,
Each spring, its various bias:
Then at the balance let us be mute,
We never can adjust it;
What is done we partly may compute,
But know not what is resisted. |
* "Be not righteous overmuch, and do not make yourself overwise; why should you
destroy yourself?" - Ecclesiastes 7:16 |