Four excellent old songs/Burns' Honest Man

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
3204034Four excellent old songs — Burns' Honest Man1816

BURNS’ HONEST MAN.

What tho‘ on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hodden grey, and a’ that;
Gi'e fools their silk, & knaves their wine,
A man’s a man for a’ that.
For a’ that, and a' that,
Their tinsel show, and a’ that;
An honest man, tho’ ne’er so poor,
Is chief o’ men for a’ that.

Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, and stares, and a’ that,
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a cuif for a’ that.
For a' that, and a' that,
His ribbon, star, and a’ that;
A man of indepent mind
can look and laugh at a’ that.

The King can mak’ a belted Knight,
A Marquis, Duke, and a’ that,
But an honest man’s aboon his might,
Guid faith he mauna fa’ that.
For a’ that, and a’ that,
His dignities, and a' that.
The pith o’ sense, and pride o’ worth,
Are grander far than a’ that.

Then let us pray, that come it may.
As come it shall for a’ that,
Whan sense and worth o’er a'the earth,
Shall bear the gree, and a’ that;
For a’ that, and a’ that,
It’s coming yet, for a’ that;
And man and man, the warld o’er,
Shall brithers be, and a’ that.



This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse