Robert Burns(1759–1796)
To a Mouse
On Turning Her up in Her Nest with the Plough, November,1785
Wee, sleeket, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie,sleek
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering 0 brattle! 0hurried I scamper
I wad be laith 0 to rin an' chase thee,loath
Wi' murd'ring pattle!plowstaff ("paddle")
I'm truly sorry Man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle,
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!
I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;sometimes
What then poor beastie, thou maun live!must
A daimen-icker in a thrave2
'S a sma' request:
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,rest
An' never miss't!
Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
Its silly wa's the win's are strewin!frail
An' naething, now, to big 0 a new ane,build
O' foggage 0 green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!bitter
Thou saw the fields laid bare and wast,waste
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter 0 pastplowshare
Out thro' thy cell.
That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble 0stubble
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble,
But house Or hald,without / home ("hold")
To thole 0 the winter's sleety dribble,endure
An' cranreuch 0 cauld!hoarfrost
But, Mousie, thou art no thy-lane,3
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang 0 aft a-gley.go I astray
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy!
Still, thou art blest, compared wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!
1786