“The war’ly race may riches chase….” Happy Robert Burns Day!

Green grow the rashes , O; 
Green grow the rashes , O; 
The sweetest hours that e'er I spend, 
Are spent amang the lasses, O. 

There's nought but care on ev'ry han' , 
In ev'ry hour that passes, O: 
What signifies the life o' man, 
An' 'twere na for the lasses, O. 

The war'ly race may riches chase, -
An' riches still may fly them, O; 
An' tho' at last they catch them fast, 
Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O. 

But gie me a cannie hour at e'en , 
My arms about my dearie, O; 
An' war'ly cares, an' war'ly men, 
May a' gae tapsalteerie , O! 

For you sae douce , ye sneer at this; 
Ye're nought but senseless asses, O: 
The wisest man the warl' e'er saw , 
He dearly lov'd the lasses, O. 

Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears 
Her noblest work she classes, O: 
Her prentice han' she try'd on man, 
An' then she made the lasses, O. 

Green grow the rashes , O; 
Green grow the rashes , O; 
The sweetest hours that e'er I spend, 
Are spent amang the lasses, O.

Today is Robert Burns Day! Robert Burns, the great poet of Scotland, born this day in 1759. I love his work dearly, and this particular poem, “Green Grow the Rashes O”, is likely my favorite.

For more on him, read Sheila O’Malley. Failing that, read some Burns!

 

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