Robert Burns - To A Mouse - Poem

Robert Burns' To A Mouse presented by David Sibbald of www.robertburns.plus.com from his CD "The Greatest Poems in the World." set to photos of Scotland and edited by Peggy Edwards (AKA Peigi McCann).

To A Mouse.
On turning her up in her nest with the plough, November 1785.


Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murdering pattle.

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, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't.

Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's win's ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.

That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld.

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou are 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!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• To
• Mouse
• mouse
• Robert
• Burns
• david
• sibbald
• David
• Sibbald
• Scotland
• scotland
• poetry
• literature
• RobertBurns
• ToAMouse
• burns
• Poem
• classics
• performing
• arts
• communication
• www.robertburns.plus.com

[peigimccann]

No, it isn't English, it's Scots.

[peigimccann]

The Twin Towers illustrates the line "The best laid plans ... "etc. and brings it into this century showing that Burns wisdom knows no boundaries of nation or time.

[ijsmale]

@RFC1873CFC1905 Proper English??!!! Scots is now recognized as a language unto its own that evolved separately, along side English. My grandmother used to say the same to grandfather when he started using Scots - she'd say " Daddy, Speak Proper English!" not even recognizing her own native tongue was a distinct language! Mind, it soonds and luiks mich the sam as Inglis bit isnae tae be confused wi Inglis.

[kafenster]

The way he talks makes me laugh sooooo hard! XD

[crazylegs654]

Thats a true scottish accent

[sternbergzookie]

@DrSpooglemon It does an excellent job of straddling the line between foreign and familiar, being generally intelligible with a dash of Scottishness. I lament that I'll probably never be able to grasp this lovely dialect.

[zebralady1997]

Verry thick scottish aksent! 😃 Bouriful voice and poem.

[booksmiley4]

It's great to hear it in its original form and not the weak anglicized version :)

[Sandgooose]

In the grand scheme of mice and men:

Often go askew

And leave us nothing but grief and pain

For promised joy

[cooldude5583381]

its tea a mouse

[jeana1001]

A great poem, well read.

[GingerBallsOfDelight]

I can't understand it :(

[lagoondiver]

I have to study this poem (among other Romantic poetry) for school and I'm glad this recording is uploaded so I know how it's pronounced since I'm not very familiar with the Scottish dialect