I Hae a wife of my ain, I'll partake wi'naebody; I'll take Cuckold frae nane, I'll gieCuckold to naebody. I hae a penny to spend, There-thanks to naebody! I hae naethingto lend, I'll borrow frae naebody. I am naebody's lord, I'll be slave to naebody; I haea gudebraidsword, I'll takduntsfraenaebody. I'll be merry and free,
For thee is laughing Nature gay, For thee she pours the vernal day; For me in vain is Nature drest, While Joy's a stranger to my breast.
When Nature her great master-piece design'd, And fram'd her last, best work, the human mind, Her eye intent on all the mazy plan, She form'd of various parts the various Man. Then first she calls the useful many forth; Plain plodding Industry, and sober Worth: Thence peasants, farmers, native sons of earth, And merchandise' whole
In this strange land, this uncouth clime, A land unknown to prose or rhyme; Where words ne'er cross't the Muse's heckles, Nor limpit in poetic shackles: A land that Prose did never view it, Except when drunk he stacher't thro' it; Here, ambush'd by the chimlacheek, Hid in anatmosphere of reek, I hear a wheel
For lords orkings I dinnamourn, E'en let them die-for that they're born: But oh! prodigious to reflec'! A Towmont, sirs, is ganeto wreck! O Eighty-eight, in thy sma'space, What dire events hae taken place! Of what enjoyments thou hast reft us! In what a picklethou has left us! The Spanish empire's tint a head, And
Clarinda, mistres of my soul, The measur'd time is run! The wretch beneath the dreary pole So marks his latest sun. To what dark cave of frozen night Shall poor Sylvander hie; Depriv'd of thee, his life and light, The sun of all his joy? We part-but bythese precious drops, That fill thy lovely eyes,
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne! Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne. We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, For auld lang syne. And surely ye'll be your pintstowp! And surely I'll be mine! And we'll tak a