Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume V. Nature. 1904. | | | | VI. Animate Nature | | To a Mouse | | Robert Burns (1759–1796) |
| | On Turning Her up in Her Nest with the Plough, November, 1785 |
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WEE, sleekit, cowerin’, timorous beastie, | |
| O, what a panic ’s in thy breastie! | |
| Thou needna start awa sae hasty, | |
| Wi’ bickering brattle! | |
| I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee, | 5 |
| Wi’ murdering pattle! | |
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| I ’m truly sorry man’s dominion | |
| Has broken nature’s social union, | |
| An’ justifies that ill opinion | |
| Which makes thee startle | 10 |
| At me, thy poor earth-born companion, | |
| An’ fellow-mortal! | |
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| I doubtna, whyles, but thou may thieve; | |
| What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! | |
| A daimen-icker 1 in a thrave 2 | 15 |
| ’S a sma’ request; | |
| I ’ll get a blessin’ wi’ the lave, | |
| And never miss ’t! | |
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| Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin! | |
| Its silly wa’s the win’s are strewin’! | 20 |
| An’ naething now to big a new ane | |
| O’ foggage green! | |
| An’ bleak December’s winds ensuin’, | |
| Baith snell and keen! | |
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| Thou saw the fields laid bare an’ waste, | 25 |
| An’ weary winter comin’ fast, | |
| An’ cozie here, beneath the blast, | |
| Thou thought to dwell, | |
| Till, crash! the cruel coulter past | |
| Out through thy cell. | 30 |
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| That wee bit heap o’ leaves an’ stibble | |
| Has cost thee mony a weary nibble! | |
| Now thou ’s turned out, for a’ thy trouble, | |
| But house or hald, | |
| To thole the winter’s sleety dribble, | 35 |
| An’ cranreuch 3 cauld! | |
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| But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane, | |
| In proving foresight may be vain: | |
| The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men | |
| Gang aft a-gley, | 40 |
| An’ lea’e us naught but grief and pain, | |
| For promised joy. | |
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| Still thou art blest, compared wi’ me! | |
| The present only toucheth thee: | |
| But, och! I backward cast my e’e | 45 |
| On prospects drear; | |
| An’ forward, though I canna see, | |
| I guess an’ fear. | |
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