Scottish Poetry Selection
- Address to a Haggis
Address to a Haggis
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin' race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm - reekin, rich!Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect sconner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit:
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade.
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.Ye Pow`rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, If ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!Meaning of unusual words:
sonsie=cheerful
Aboon=Above
Painch=paunch
thairm=guts
wordy=worthy
hurdies=buttocks
pin=skewer
dight=wipe
slight=skill
Trenching=Digging
reekin=steaming
weel-swall'd kytes=well-swollen bellies
belyve=soon
Guidman=Head of the household
rive=burst
staw=sicken
sconner=disgust
feckless=weak
rash=rush
nieve a nit=fist a nut
sned=trim
taps o thrissle= tops of thistle
skinking=watery
jaups=splashes
luggies=wooden bowl with projecting handles
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
