Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Illustrated book of Scottish songs from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century

MOEAL AND SATIRICAL SONGS. 217
For a' that and a' that,
His riband, star, and a' that ;
The man of independent mind,
He looks and laughs at a' that.
A prince can mak' a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and a' that ;
But an honest man's aboon his might —
Guid faith, he mauna fa' that !
For a' that and a' that.
Their dignities and a' that ;
The pith o' sense and pride o' worth
Are higher ranks than a' that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that.
That sense and worth o'er a' the earth
May bear the gree and a' that.
For a' that and a' that.
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man to man, the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.
In reference to this immortal song, founded on a more ancient and very inferior
one, with the same burden, or " overlay," Burns wrote to Mr. Thomson: — " A great
critic (Aikin) on songs, says that love and wine are the exclusive themes for song-
writing. The following is on neither subject, and consequently is no song; but will
be allowed, I think, to be two or three pretty good prose thoughts inverted into
rhyme."
SIC A WIFE AS WILLIE HAD.
Burns. Air — " Tibbie Fowler in the glen."
Willie Wastle dwalt on Tweed,
The spot they ca'd it Linkumdoddie ;
Willie was a wabster guid,
Cou'd stown a clue wi' ony bodie ;
He had a wife was dour and din,
Oh, Tinkler Madgie was her mither.
Sic a wife as Willie had,
I wadna gi'e a button for her.