Poems and Songs

Robert Burns

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• eBook ISBN: 9780486114163
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: European Poetry
• Index: Literature

Robert Burns (1759 – 1796) called himself "an Aeolian harp strung to every wind of heaven." His first volume of poems, entitled Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, was published in 1786. An immediate success, it established Burns's poetic reputation, which has grown over two centuries to the point where he is not only the Scottish national poet but the object of a cult unique in British poetry.
The present volume contains 43 of his finest poems and songs, reprinted unabridged from an authoritative tenth-century edition. Included are "The Twa Dogs," a deft satire of the Scottish upper classes; "To a Mouse," one of the poet's best known, most charming works; "Address to the Unco Guid," an attack on Puritan hypocrisy; "Holy Willie's Prayer," one of the great verse-satires of all times; as well as such favorites as "The Cotter's Saturday Night," "To a Mountain Daisy," "The Holy Fair," "Address to the Deil," "The Death and Dying Words of Poor Mailie," and many more.
In addition to his poetic undertakings, Burns almost single-handedly preserved and revived the traditional Scottish song, and this volume includes a rich selection of these works: "A Red, Red Rose," "Auld Lang Syne," "Comin' thro' the Rye," "My Heart's in the Highlands," "My Love, She's But a Lassie Yet," and a host of others.

Glossary

A’, all.

A-back, behind, away.

Aboon, above.

Abread, abroad.

Acquent, acquainted.

Ae, one.

Aff, off.

Aft, oft.

Aften, often.

Agley, askew.

Aiblins, ablins, may be, perhaps.

Ain, own.

Aim, iron.

Airt, direction.

Aits, oats.

A-jee, ajar.

Alake, alas.

Amaist, almost.

Amang, among.

Ance, once.

Ane, one.

Anither, another.

Aspar, aspread.

Auld, old.

Ava, at all, of all.

Awa, away.

Awnie, bearded.

Ay, aye, always.

Ayont, beyond.

Back-yett, back gate.

Bainie, banie, bony, big-boned.

Bairn, child.

Baith, both.

Bane, bone.

Barefit, barefooted.

Barley-brie or -bree, barley-liquor = ale or whisky.

Bauld, bold.

Baumy, balmy.

Bawbee, a halfpenny.

Baws’nt, white-streaked.

Bear, barley.

Beet, to feed, kindle, fan, add fuel to.

Beld, bald.

Belyve, by-and-by

Ben, a parlor.

Ben, into the spence or parlor.

Beuk, a book: “devil’s pictur’d beuks” = playing-cards.

Bicker, a wooden cup.

Bickering, hurrying.

Biel, bield, beild, a shelter, a sheltered spot.

Big, to build.

Biggin, a structure, a dwelling.

Bill, a bull.

Billie, fellow, comrade, brother.

Birk, the birch.

Birkie, a fellow (usually implies conceit).

Bit, nick of time.

Bizz, a flurry.

Bizz, to buzz.

Black-bonnet, the elder.

Blastet, blastit, blasted (used in contempt and equivalent to damn’d).

Blastie, a blasted (i.e. damn’d) creature.

Blate, modest, bashful, shy.

Blather, blether, bladder.

Blaw, to blow.

Bleeze, to blaze.

Blellum, a babbler.

Blether, to talk nonsense.

Blinkers, spies.

Bluid, blood.

Boddle, a farthing (properly two pennies Scots, or one sixth of an English penny).

Body, bodie, a person, a creature.

Bogle, a bogie, a hobgoblin.

Bonie, bonnie, pretty, beautiful.

Boord, board, surface.

Boortrees, the shrub-elder.

Bore, a chink, a small hole, an opening.

Bowse, drink, booze.

Brae, a small hill, the slope of a hill.

Braid, broad.

Braid-claith, broad-cloth.

Brak, brake, broke.

Brash, short illness.

Brattle, a spurt, a scamper.

Braw, gaily dressed, fine, handsome.

Brawlie, finely, perfectly, heartily.

Breeks, breeches.

Brent, brand.

Brent, straight, steep (i.e. ...

Table of contents

• DOVER THRIFT EDITIONS FICTION
• Title Page
• Note
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• The Twa Dogs
• Scotch Drink
• The Holy Fair
• Address to the Deil
• The Death and Dying Words of Poor Mailie,
• The Cotter’s Saturday Night
• To a Mouse
• To a Mountain Daisy
• Epistle to a Young Friend
• To a Louse
• Song
• Address to the Unco Guid
• Green Grow the Rashes, O
• Tam o’ Shanter
• On the Late Captain Grose’s Peregrinations thro’ Scotland
• Holy Willie’s Prayer
• O, Whistle an’ I’ll Come to Ye, My Lad
• I’m O’er Young to Marry Yet
• The Birks of Aberfeldie
• O’er the Water to Charlie
• My Love, She’s But a Lassie Yet
• The Silver Tassie
• Of A’ the Airts
• Whistle O’er the Lave o’t
• My Heart’s in the Highlands
• John Anderson My Jo
• Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes
• Willie Brew’d a Peck o’ Maut
• Ae Fond Kiss
• The Posie
• The Banks o’ Doon
• Sweet Afton
• The Deil’s Awa wi’ th’ Exciseman
• A Red, Red Rose
• Auld Lang Syne
• Comin thro’ the Rye
• Charlie He’s My Darling
• O, Lay Thy Loof in Mine, Lass
• Open the Door to Me, O
• Scots, Wha Hae
• Highland Mary
• There Was a Lad
• O, Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast
• Glossary
• Alphabetical List of Titles
• Alphabetical List of First Lines
• DOVER THRIFT EDITION PLAYS