Robert Burns (1759 - 1794)

The Immortal Memory

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TO A LOUSE

ON SEEING ONE ON A LADY'S BONNET AT CHURCH
I

HA ! whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie ?
Your impudence protects you sairly,
I canna say but ye strunt rarely
Owre gauze and lace,
Tho' faith ! I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.

II

Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her -
Sae fine a lady !
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.

III

Swith ! in some beggar's hauffet squattle:
There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle,
Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn nor bane ne'er daur unsettle
Your thick plantations.

IV

Now haud yon there ! ye're out o' sight,
Below the fatt'rils, snug an' tight;
Na, faith ye yet ! ye 'll no be right,
Till ye 've got on it -
The vera tapmost, tow'ring height
O' Miss's bonnet.


V

My sooth ! right bauld ye set your nose out,
As plump an' grey as onie grozet:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I 'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't,
Wad dress your droddum.

VI

I wad na been surpris'd to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy;
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
On 's wyliecoat;
But Miss's fine Lunardi ! fye !
How daur ye do 't ?

VII

O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread !
Ye little ken what cursed speed
The blastie 's makin !
Thae winks an' finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin !

VIII

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us !
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion !

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