The Canongate Burns. Robert Burns

15 Mar’s-year: This was the year 1715, when the 11th Earl of Mar, John Erskine (1675–1732) spear-headed the Jacobite revolt to proclaim the Stuart Pretender King.

16 Sowens, with butter instead of milk, to them, is always the Halloween Supper. R.B.

       The Auld Farmers New-year Morning Salutation to his Auld Mare, Maggie

      on giving her the accustomed ripp of corn to hansel in the new-year

      First printed in the Kilmarnock edition, 1786.

      A Guid New-Year I wish thee, Maggie!

      Hae, there’s a ripp to thy auld baggie: handful, stomach

      Tho’ thou’s howe-backit now, an’ knaggie, hollow-backed, knobbly

      I’ve seen the day

      5 Thou could hae gaen like onie staggie, have gone, any colt

      Out-owre the lay. -over, lea

      Tho’ now thou’s dowie, stiff, an’ crazy, drooping

      An’ thy auld hide as white’s a daisie, old

      I’ve seen thee dappl’t, sleek an’ glaizie, glossy

      10 A bonie gray:

      He should been tight that daur’t to raize thee, able, dared, excite

      Ance in a day. once

      Thou ance was i’ the foremost rank, once

      A filly buirdly, steeve, an’ swank; strong, trim, stately

      15 An’ set weel down a shapely shank well, leg

      As e’er tread yird; earth

      An’ could hae flown out-owre a stank have, -over, ditch

      Like onie bird. any

      It’s now some nine-an’-twenty year

      20 Sin’ thou was my Guidfather’s Meere; father-in-law’s, mare

      He gied me thee, o’ tocher clear, gave, dowry

      An’ fifty mark; a coin worth 13s 4d

      Tho’ it was sma’,’ twas weel-won gear, small, well-won money

      An’ thou was stark. strong

      25 When first I gaed to woo my Jenny, went

      Ye then was trottan wi’ your Minnie: mother

      Tho’ ye was trickie, slee, an’ funnie, difficult, sly

      Ye ne’er was donsie; mischievous

      But hamely, tawie, quiet, an’ cannie, homely, placid, docile

      30 An’ unco sonsie. very good-natured

      That day, ye pranc’d wi’ muckle pride, great

      When ye bure hame my bonie Bride: bore/carried home

      An’ sweet an’ gracefu’ she did ride,

      Wi’ maiden air!

      35 KYLE-STEWART I could bragged wide, boasted the district over

      For sic a pair. such

      Tho’ now ye dow but hoyte and hobble, can, limp, stumble

      An’ wintle like a saumont-coble, twist, salmon-boat

      That day, ye was a jinker noble, runner

      40 For heels an’ win’! wind

      An’ ran them till they a’ did wauble, wobble

      Far, far behin’!

      When thou an’ I were young and skiegh, proud/fiery

      An’ Stable-meals at Fairs were driegh, tedious

      45 How thou wad prance, an’ snore, an’ scriegh, would, snort, whinny

      An’ tak the road!

      Town’s-bodies ran, an’ stood abiegh, out of the way

      An’ ca’t thee mad. called

      When thou was corn’t, an’ I was mellow, fed

      50 We took the road ay like a Swallow:

      At Brooses thou had ne’er a fellow, a horse race at a wedding

      For pith an’ speed;

      But ev’ry tail thou pay’t them hollow, beat

      Whare’er thou gaed. went

      55 The sma’, droop-rumpl’t, hunter cattle small, short-rumped

      Might aiblins waur’t thee for a brattle; perhaps beat, short race

      But sax Scotch mile thou try’t their mettle, six

      An’ gar’t them whaizle: made, wheeze

      Nae whip nor spur, but just a wattle no, stick

      60 O’ saugh or hazle. willow, hazel

      Thou was a noble Fittie-lan’, back left-hand plough horse

      As e’er in tug or tow was drawn!

      Aft thee an’ I, in aught hours’ gaun, often, any, going

      On guid March-weather, good

      65 Hae turn’d sax rood beside our han’ have, six quarter acres

      For days thegither. together

      Thou never braing’t, an’ fetch’t, an’ flisket; plunged, stalled, capered

      But thy auld tail thou wad hae whisket, old, would have lashed

      An’ spread abreed thy weel-fill’d brisket, across to, breast

      70 Wi’ pith an’ pow’r;

      Till sprittie knowes wad rair’t, an’ risket, rush-covered knolls were cracked and ripped

      An’ slypet owre. smashed over (by plough)

      When frosts lay lang, an’ snaws were deep, long, snows

      An’ threaten’d labour back to keep,

      75 I gied thy cog a wee bit heap gave, feed measure

      Aboon the timmer: above the rim

      I ken’d my Maggie wad na sleep knew, would not

      For that, or Simmer. before summer

      In cart or car thou never reestet; baulked

      80 The steyest brae thou wad hae fac’t it; steepest hill, would have

      Thou never lap, an’ sten’t, an’ breastet, leaped, reared

      Then stood to blaw; puff for air

      But just thy step a wee thing hastet, a little shortened

      Thou snoov’t awa. pushed away

      85 My Pleugh is now thy bairn-time a’, my plough-team is your offspring

      Four gallant brutes as e’er did draw;

      Forbye sax mae I’ve sell’t awa, six more, sold away

      That thou hast nurst: nursed

      They drew me thretteen pund an’ twa, thirteen pound, two

      90 The vera warst.

      Monie a sair daurk we twa hae wrought, many, sore day’s work, two, have

      An’ wi’ the weary warl’ fought! world