The Norton Anthology of English literature. Volume 2

But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys,9 and reels, Put life and mettle in their heels. A winnock-bunker0 in the east, window seat There sat auld Nick, in shape o' beast; A touzie tyke,� black, grim, and large, shaggy dog To gie them music was his charge: He screw'd the pipes and gart� them skirl,0 made / screech Till roof and rafters a' did dirl.�� rattle Coffins stood round, like open presses, That shaw'd the dead in their last dresses; And by some devilish cantraip0 slight charm, trick Each in its cauld hand held a light.� By which heroic Tam was able To note upon the haly� table, holy A murderer's banes in gibbet airns;� irons Twa span-lang,1 wee, unchristened bairns; A thief, new-cutted frae a rape,0 rope Wi' his last gasp his gab� did gape; mouth Five tomahawks, wi' blude red-rusted; Five scymitars, wi' murder crusted; A garter, which a babe had strangled; A knife, a father's throat had mangled, Whom his ain son o' life bereft, The grey hairs yet stack0 to the heft; stuck Wi' mair o' horrible and awefu', Which even to name wad be unlawfu'.

As Tammie glowr'd, amaz'd, and curious, The mirth and fun grew fast and furious: The piper loud and louder blew; The dancers quick and quicker flew; They reel'd, they set, they cross'd, they cleekit,0 joined hands Till ilka carlin0 swat and reekit, old woman And coost her duddies to the wark,2 And linket0 at it in her sark!3 tripped lightly

Now, Tam, O Tam! had thae been queans,0 girls A' plump and strapping in their teens, Their sarks, instead o' creeshie flannen,0 greasy flannel Been snaw-white seventeen hunder linnen!4 Thir� breeks o' mine, my only pair, these That ance were plush, o' gude blue hair, I wad hae gi'en them off my hurdies,� buttocks For ae blink o' the bonie burdies!0 bonny (pretty) girls

But wither'd beldams,0 auld and droll, hags

160 Rigwoodie0 hags wad spean0 a foal, bony / wean Lowping0 and flinging on a crummock,0 leaping / staff I wonder didna turn thy stomach.

9. Slow Highland dance. 3. Shirt (underclothes). 1. Two spans long (a span is the distance from 4. Very fine linen, woven on a loom with seven- outstretched thumb to little finger). teen hundred strips. 2. Cast off her clothes for the work.

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TAM O' SHANTER:

But Tam kend what was what fu' brawlie,0 There was ae winsome wench and wawlie0

165 That night enlisted in the core," (Lang after kend on Carrick shore; For mony a beast to dead she shot, And perish'd mony a bony boat, And shook baith meikle corn and bear,0

170 And kept the country-side in fear:) Her cutty0 sark, o' Paisley harn,0 That while a lassie she had worn, In longitude tho' sorely scanty, It was her best, and she was vauntie.0�

175 Ah! little kend thy reverend grannie, That sark she coft� for her wee Nannie, Wi' twa pund Scots ('twas a' her riches), Wad ever grac'd a dance of witches!

But here my Muse her wing maun cour;�

180 Sic flights are far beyond her pow'r; To sing how Nannie lap and flang, (A souple jade� she was, and Strang), And how Tam stood, like ane bewitch'd, And thought his very een� enrich'd;

185 Even Satan glowr'd, and fidg'd fu' fain,5 And hotch'd0 and blew wi' might and main: Till first ae caper, syne0 anither, Tam tint0 his reason a' thegither, And roars out, 'Weel done, Cutty-sark!'

190 And in an instant all was dark: And scarcely had he Maggie rallied, When out the hellish legion sallied.

As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke,� When plundering herds0 assail their byke;�

195 As open0 pussie's mortal foes, When, pop! she starts before their nose; As eager runs the market-crowd, When 'Catch the thief!' resounds aloud; So Maggie runs the witches follow,

200 Wi' mony an eldritch0 skreech and hollow.

Ah, Tam! Ah, Tam! thou'll get thy fairin'!0 In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin! In vain thy Kate awaits thy comin! Kate soon will be a woefu' woman!

205 Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg, And win the key-stane of the brig;6 There at them thou thy tail may toss, A running stream they dare na cross.

A TALE / 143

finely strapping corps

barley

short / yarn

proud

bought

lower

disreputable woman

eyes

jerked then lost

fuss herdsmen / hive begin to bark

unearthly

deserts

5. Fidgeted with pleasure. the benighted traveler, that when he falls in with 6. It is a well known fact that witches, or any evil bogles, whatever danger may be in his going for- spirits, have no power to follow a poor wight any ward, there is much more hazard in turning back farther than the middle of the next running [Burns's note]. "Brig": bridge. stream.�It may be proper likewise to mention to

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