"A great critic (Aikin) on songs says that Love and Wine are the exclusive themes for song?writing. This is on neither subject and consequently is no song ? but will be allowed, I think, to be two or three pretty good prose thoughts inverted into rhyme . . . I do not give you the foregoing song for your book, but merely by way of vive la bagatelle: for the piece is not really poetry." -
Robert Burns -(Letter to Thomson, 1 Jan., 1795)

(Note: Words in margin assist with pronunciation)

eer hoadun
fillz, sulks

anist
keeng

yoan

hunurz
kiff

ribun, stawr

luks

markis
anist

heechur

britherz

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hodden grey, an' a' that.
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine
A man's a man for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their tinsel show, an' a' that,
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.

Ye see yon birkie ca'd a lord,
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that?
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a cuif' for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
His ribband, star, an' a' that,
The man o' independent mind,
He looks and laughs at a' that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that!
But an honest man's aboons his micht?
Guid faith, he mauna fa' that!`'
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities, an' a' that,
The pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth
Are higher rank than a' that.

Then let us pray that come it may
As come it will, for a' that
That sense and worth o'er a' the earth
Shall bear the gree"' an' a' that;
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man to man the world o'er
Shall brothers be for a' that.

oanist poavurtay
heed

pair

loard

mein
lawchs

nicht

ubin, micht

owr