Of Scrap No. VI. I say nothing, Doctor Prout having left a note on the subject prefixed to the same. Yours, &c.
Rory O'Dryscull.
| I. | 1. |
| Is there, | Quoi! Pauvre honnête |
| For honest poverty, | Baisser la tête? |
| That hangs his head | Quoi! rougir de la sorte? |
| And a' that? | Que l'âme basse |
| The coward slave | S'éloigne et passe |
| We pass him by, | Nous—soyons gueux! n'importe! |
| We dare be poor for a' that: | Travail obscur— |
| For a' that, and a' that, | N'importe! |
| Our toils obscure, | Quand l'or est pur |
| And a' that; | N'importe! |
| The rank is but | Qu'il ne soit point |
| The guinea's stamp, | Marqué au coin |
| The Man's the gowd for a' that. | D'un noble rang—qu'importe! |
| | |
| II. | 2. |
| What! though | Quoiqu'on dût faire |
| On homely fare we dine, | Bien maigre chère |
| Wear hidden grey, | Et vêtir pauvre vêtement; |
| And a' that; | Aux sots leur soie, |
| Give fools their silks, | Leur vin, leur joie; |
| And knaves their wine, | Ca fait'il L'Homme? eh, nullement! |
| A man's a Man for a' that: | ' Luxe et grandeur— |
| For a' that, for a' that, | Qu'importe! |
| Their tinsel show, | Train et splendeur— |
| And a' that; | Qu'importe! |
| The honest man, | Cœurs vils et creux! |
| Though e'er so poor, | Un noble gueux |
| Is king o' men for a' that. | Vaut toute la cohorte! |
| | |
| III. | 3. |
| Ye see | Voyez ce fat— |
| Yon birkie, ca'd a lord, | Un vain éclat |
| Wha struts and stares, | L'entoure, et on l'encense, |
| And a' that; | Mais après tout |
| Though hundreds worship | Ce n'est qu'un fou,— |
| At his word, | Un sot, quoiqu'il en pense; |
| He's but a coof for a' that: | Terre et maison, |
| For a' that, for a' that, | Qu'il pense— |
| His riband, star, | Titre et blazon, |
| And a' that; | Qu'il pense— |
| The man of | Or et ducats, |
| Independent mind | Non! ne font pas |
| Can look and laugh at a' that. | La vraie indépendence! |
| | |
| IV. | 4. |
| A king | Un roi peut faire |
| Can make a belted knight, | Duc, dignitaire, |
| A marquis, duke, | Comte et marquis, journellement; |
| And a' that; | Mais ce qu'on nomme |
| But an Honest Man | Un Honnête Homme, |
| 's aboon his might, | Le peut-il faire? eh, nullement! |
| Guid faith he manna fa' that. | Tristes faveurs! |
| For a' that, for a' that, | Réellement; |
| Their dignities, | Pauvres honneurs! |
| And a' that; | Réellement; |
| The pith o' sense | Le fier maintien |
| And pride o' warth | Des gens de bien |
| Are higher ranks than a' that. | Leur manque essentiellement. |
| | |
| V. | 5. |
| Then let us pray | Or faisons vœu |
| That come it may— | Qu'à tous, sous peu, |
| As come it will | Arrive un jour de jugement;— |
| For a' that— | Amis, ce jour |
| That sense and warth, | Aura son tour, |
| O'er all the earth, | J'en prends, j'en prends, l'engagement. |
| May bear the gree, and a' that! | Espoir et en- |
| For a' that, and a' that, | couragement, |
| It's coming yet, | Aux pauvres gens |
| For a' that, | Soulagement; |
| That man to man, | 'Lors sure la terre |
| The warld a' o'er, | Vivrons en frères, |
| Shall brothers be, for a' that. | Et librement, et sagement! |
The following is a fair specimen, procured by the kindness of the late erudite Quaff-y-punchovitz, Keeper of the Archives of the Cracovian University. The rhythmic termination, called by the Greeks ομοιοτελεντον is here clearly traceable to a Northern origin. It would appear that the Scandinavian poets took great pride in the nicety and richness of these rhymes, by which they beguiled the tediousness of their winter nights: