THE BALLAD OF RABBIE BURNS - damowords

As nature’s ancient impetus
Clothed winter’s bones with spring flowers
Harebells, foxgloves, wild brier rose
Rab fails to bloom
Plagued by remorseless illnesses
& roaring rheum ****
Grown day‐by‐day Rab’s prospects bleak *****
Teeth chitterin’ as limbs grow weak
& now that damn’d worm‐I‐the‐cheek
Agues all the day long
From which our bard dost refuge seek
In bilious song
“My curse on your envenom’d stang
That shoots my torture sums alang
An thro’ my lugs gies mong a bang
Wi gnawin vengeance
Tearing my nerves wi’ bitter twang
Like racking engines
My fevers burn, my agues freeze us
Rheumatics gnaw, my colics squeeze us
My neighbours sympathize, to ease us,
Wi pitying moan
But thou – the hell o’ a’ diseases
They mock our groan.”
Yet, as long summer uplifts men
At last Rab rests his rampant pen
To listen to his requiem
Lone curlew sings
Now chorus’d in the wide bird’s glen
That Dumfries rings