630 FAREWELL ADDRESS TO BURN* 



Round thee flock'd scholars mony a cluster, 



And dominies came in a fluster, 



In words three spans lang 'gan they bluster 



Of classic models, 

 Of Tully's light and Virgil's lustre, 



And shook their noddles. 



Ye laugh'd, and muttering, " Learning ! d n her !' 

 Stood bauldly up, but start or stammer 

 Wi' Nature's fire for lore and grammar, 



And classic rules, 

 Crush'd them as Thor's triumphant hammer 



Smash'd paddock stools. 

 And thou wert right and they were wrang 

 The sculptor's toil, the poet's sang, 

 In Greece and Rome frae nature sprang, 



And bauld and free, 

 In sentiment and language strang, 



They spake like thee. 



Thy muse came like a giggling taupie 

 Dancing her lane ; her sangs sae sappy 

 Cheer'd men like drink's inspiring drappie 



Then, grave and stern, 

 High moral truths sublime and happy 



She made them learn. 



Auld grey-beard Lear, wi' college lantern* 

 O'er rules of Horace stoitering, venturm* 

 At song, glides to oblivion saunterin' 



And starless night ; 

 Whilst thou, up cleft Parnassus canterin-', 



Lives on in light. 



In light thou liv'st. While birds lo'e simmer, 

 Wild bees the blossom, buds the timmer, 

 And man lo'es woman rosie limmer ! 



I'll prophecie 

 Thy glorious halo nought the dimmer 



Will ever be. 



For me though both sprung from ae mother 

 I'm but a weakly young half brother, 

 Sae O ! forgive my musing swither, 



Mid toils benighted, 

 Twas lang a wish that nought could smother 



To see thee righted. 



Frae Kyle, wi' music in her bowers ; 

 Frae fairy glens, where wild Doon pours ; 

 Frae hills, bedropp'd wi' sunny showers, 



On Solway strand, 

 I've gather' d, Burns, thy scatter'd flowers- 



Wi' filial hand. 



And O ! bright and immortal Spirit, 

 If ought that lessens thy rare merit 

 I've utter'd like a god thou'lt bear it, 



Thou canst but knew 

 Thy stature few or none can peer it 



Now born below. 



