[penniless]
It sets you ill, [becomes]
Wi' bitter, dearthfu' wines to mell, [meddle]
Or foreign gill.

May gravels round his blather wrench, [ladder]
An' gouts torment him, inch by inch,
Wha twists his gruntle wi' a glunch [face, growl]
O' sour disdain,
Out owre a glass o' whisky punch
Wi' honest men!

O Whisky! soul o' plays an' pranks!
Accept a bardie's gratefu' thanks!
When wanting thee, what tuneless cranks [creakings]
Are my poor verses!
Thou comes--they rattle i' their ranks
At ither's arses!

Thee, Ferintosh![25] O sadly lost!
Scotland, lament frae coast to coast!
Now colic-grips an' barkin' hoast [cough]
May kill us a';
For loyal Forbes' charter'd boast
Is ta'en awa!

Thae curst horse-leeches o' th' Excise, [These]
Wha mak the whisky stells their prize-- [stills]
Haud up thy hand, deil! Ance--twice--thrice!
There, seize the blinkers! [spies]
An' bake them up in brunstane pies [brimstone]
For poor damn'd drinkers.

Fortune! if thou'll but gie me still
Hale breeks, a bannock, and a gill, [Whole breeches, oatmeal cake]
An' rowth o' rhyme to rave at will, [plenty]
Tak' a' the rest,
An' deal'd about as thy blind skill
Directs thee best.

[25] Forbes of Culloden was given in 1690 liberty to distil grain at
Ferintosh without excise. When this privilege was withdrawn in 1785,
the price of whisky rose--hence Burns's lament.

TO A HAGGIS

Fair fa' your honest sonsie face, [jolly]
Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place, [Above]
Painch, tripe, or thairm: [Paunch, guts]
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace [worthy]
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill; [