To a haggis

It is authoratatively recorded that this traditional Burns Night speciality was produced almost ex tempore at a dinner at the house

of a Mr Andrew Bruce, merchant, Castlehill, Edinburgh.

FAIR fa’ your honest, sonsie face,

Great Chieftan 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;

Then 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’ bluidy 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 mak 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 you wish her gratefu’ pray’r,

Gie her a Haggis!

Notes

sonsie: lucky, jolly

painch, tripe or thairm: pertaining to its preparation associated with a

ruminant's stomach

trencher: plate, platter

hurdies: hips, thighs

Trenching: cutting

reekin: smoking

dight: wipe, clean corn from chaff as in rustic-labour

swall'd: swollen

kytes: bellies

belyve: by and by

rive: tear apart, burst

bethankit: the grace after meat

ragout, olio: highly spiced meat stews

staw: feed to excess

sconner: loathing

nieve: fist

nit: nut

walie: ample

taps: tops

sned: lop off

thrissle: thistle

skinking: liquid offering

jaups: a jerk of water

luggies: small wooden dishes with a handles

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