A salute to Robert Burns

Pioneer of the Romantic movement, inspiration to early liberals and socialists (thinking of our friends across the aisle!) Robert Burns was a poet who despite being well read and famous, was dismissed by the leading intellectuals and literati of his day as a 'heaven-taught-plowman'.

In other words, he was home schooled.

He was a Freemason and he enjoyed the lassies and the whisky.

Join me in celebrating his birthday with this excerpt from
The Jolly Beggars: A Cantata

"Auld Sir Symon."

Sir Wisdom's a fool when he's fou;
Sir Knave is a fool in a session;
He's there but a 'prentice I trow,
But I am a fool by profession.

My grannie she bought me a beuk,
An' I held awa to the school;
I fear I my talent misteuk,
But what will ye hae of a fool?

For drink I would venture my neck;
A hizzie's the half of my craft;
But what could ye other expect
Of ane that's avowedly daft?

I ance was tied up like a stirk,
For civilly swearing and quaffin;
I ance was abus'd i' the kirk,
For towsing a lass i' my daffin.

Poor Andrew that tumbles for sport,
Let naebody name wi' a jeer;
There's even, I'm tauld, i' the Court
A tumbler ca'd the Premier.

Observ'd ye yon reverend lad
Mak faces to tickle the mob;
He rails at our mountebank squad, -
It's rivalship just i' the job.

And now my conclusion I'll tell,
For faith I'm confoundedly dry;
The chiel that's a fool for himsel',
Guid Lord! he's far dafter than I.