The Farmer's Ingle

The Farmer's Ingle

Original Text
Weekly Magazine or Edinburgh Amusement (Edinburgh, 1773). AP E345 MICR mfm Robarts Library
     Et multo in primis hilarans conviuia Baccho
     Ante focum, si frigus erit, (si messis, in umbra,
     Vina novum fundam calathis Ariusia nectar)
                                                     Virg. Buc.
1Whan gloming grey out o'er the welkin keeks,
2    Whan Batie ca's his owsen to the byre,
3Whan Thrasher John, sair dung, his barn-door steeks,
4    And lusty lasses at the dighting tire:
5What bangs fu' leal the e'enings coming cauld,
6    And gars snaw-tapit winter freeze in vain;
7Gars dowie mortals look baith blyth and bauld,
8    Nor fley'd wi' a' the poortith o' the plain;
9    Begin, my Muse, and chant in hamely strain.
10Frae the big stack, weel winnow't on the hill,
11    Wi' divets theekit frae the weet and drift,
12Sods, peats, and heath'ry turfs the chimley fill,
13    And gar their thick'ning smeek salute the lift;
14The gudeman, new come hame, is blyth to find
15    Whan he out o'er the halland flings his een,
16That ilka turn is handled to his mind,
17    That a' his housie looks sae cosh and clean;
18    For cleanly house looes he, tho' e'er sae mean.
19Weel kens the gudewife that the pleughs require
20    A heartsome meltith, and refreshing synd
21O' nappy liquor, o'er a bleezing fire:
22    Sair wark and poortith douns weel be join'd.
23Wi' butter'd bannocks now the girdle reeks,
24    I' the far nook the bowie briskly reams;
25The readied kail stand by the chimley cheeks,
26    And had the riggin het wi' welcome steams,
27    Whilk than the daintiest kitchen nicer seems.
28Frae this lat gentler gabs a lesson lear;
29    Wad they to labouring lend an eidant hand,
30They'd rax fell strang upo' the simplest fare,
31    Nor find their stamacks ever at a stand.
32Fu' hale and healthy wad they pass the day,
33    At night in calmest slumbers dose fu' sound,
34Nor doctor need their weary life to spae,
35    Nor drogs their noodle and their sense confound,
36    Till death slip sleely on, and gi'e the hindmost wound.
37On sicken food has mony a doughty deed
38    By Caledonia's ancestors been done;
39By this did mony wight fu' weirlike bleed
40    In brulzies frae the dawn to set o' sun:
41'Twas this that brac'd their gardies, stiff and strang,
42    That bent the deidly yew in antient days,
43Laid Denmark's daring sons on yird alang,
44    Gar'd Scottish thristles bang the Roman bays;
45    For near our crest their heads they doughtna raise.
46The couthy cracks begin whan supper's o'er,
47    The cheering bicker gars them glibly gash
48O' simmer's showery blinks and winters sour,
49    Whase floods did erst their mailins produce hash:
50'Bout kirk and market eke their tales gae on,
51    How Jock woo'd Jenny here to be his bride,
52And there how Marion, for a bastard son,
53    Upo' the cutty-stool was forc'd to ride,
54    The waefu' scald o' our Mess John to bide.
55The fient a chiep's amang the bairnies now;
56    For a' their anger's wi' their hunger gane:
57Ay maun the childer, wi' a fastin mou',
58    Grumble and greet, and make an unco mane,
59In rangles round before the ingle's low:
60    Frae gudame's mouth auld warld tales they hear,
61O' Warlocks louping round the Wirrikow,
62    O' gaists that win in glen and kirk-yard drear,
63    Whilk touzles a' their tap, and gars them shak wi' fear.
64For weel she trows that fiends and fairies be
65    Sent frae the de'il to fleetch us to our ill;
66That ky hae tint their milk wi' evil eie,
67    And corn been scowder'd on the glowing kill.
68O mock na this, my friends! but rather mourn,
69    Ye in life's brawest spring wi' reason clear,
70Wi' eild our idle fancies a' return,
71    And dim our dolefu' days wi' bairnly fear;
72    The mind's ay cradled whan the grave is near.
73Yet thrift, industrious, bides her latest days,
74    Tho' age her sair dow'd front wi' runcles wave,
75Yet frae the russet lap the spindle plays,
76    Her e'enin stent reels she as weel's the lave.
77On some feast-day, the wee-things buskit braw
78    Shall heeze her heart up wi' a silent joy,
79Fu' cadgie that her head was up and saw
80    Her ain spun cleething on a darling oy,
81    Careless tho' death shou'd make the feast her foy.
82In its auld lerroch yet the deas remains,
83    Whare the gudeman aft streeks him at his ease,
84A warm and canny lean for weary banes
85    O' lab'rers doil'd upo' the wintry leas:
86Round him will badrins and the colly come,
87    To wag their tail, and cast a thankfu' eie
88To him wha kindly flings them mony a crum
89    O' kebbock whang'd, and dainty fadge to prie;
90    This a' the boon they crave, and a' the fee.
91Frae him the lads their morning counsel tak,
92    What stacks he wants to thrash, what rigs to till;
93How big a birn maun lie on bassie's back,
94    For meal and multure to the thirling mill.
95Niest the gudewife her hireling damsels bids
96    Giowr thro' the byre, and see the hawkies bound,
97Take tent case Crummy tak her wonted tids,
98    And ca' the leglin's treasure on the ground,
99    Whilk spills a kebbuck nice, or yellow pound.
100Then a' the house for sleep begin to grien,
101    Their joints to slack frae industry a while;
102The leaden God fa's heavy on their ein,
103    And hafflins steeks them frae their daily toil:
104The cruizy too can only blink and bleer,
105    The restit ingle's done the maist it dow;
106Tacksman and cottar eke to bed maun steer,
107    Upo' the cod to clear their drumly pow,
108    Till wauken'd by the dawning's ruddy glow.
109Peace to the husbandman and a' his tribe,
110    Whase care fells a' our wants frae year to year;
111Lang may his sock and couter turn the gleyb,
112    And bauks o' corn bend down wi' laded ear.
113May Scotia's simmers ay look gay and green,
114    Her yellow har'sts frae scowry blasts decreed;
115May a' her tenants sit fu' snug and bien,
116    Frae the hard grip of ails and poortith freed,
117    And a lang lasting train o' peaceful hours succeed.

Notes

1] The motto is from Virgil's fifth Eclogue; the entire passage is translated by Dryden as follows:
Two goblets will I crown with sparkling wine,
The gen'rous vintage of the Chian vine;
These will I pour to thee, and make the nectar thine.
In winter shall the genial feast be made
Before the fire; by summer, in the shade.
keeks. Peeps. Back to Line
2] owsen. Oxen. Back to Line
3] sair dung. Sorely worsted.
steeks. Closes. Back to Line
4] dighting. Threshing. Back to Line
5] bangs fu' leal. Prevents full well. Back to Line
6] gars snaw-tapit. Makes snow-topped. Back to Line
7] dowie. Dreary. Back to Line
8] fley'd. Alarmed.
poortith. Poverty. Back to Line
11] divets. Pieces of turf used in a thatch.
theekit. Thatched. Back to Line
12] trufs. Turfs. Back to Line
13] smeek. Smoke.
lift. Sky. Back to Line
15] halland. Cottage. Back to Line
17] cosh. Cozy. Back to Line
19] pleughs. Plowmen. Back to Line
20] meltilh. Meal.
synd. Drink. Back to Line
21] nappy. Foaming ale. Back to Line
22] douns. Cannot. Back to Line
23] girdle. Iron plate used in cooking. Back to Line
24] bowie. Dish.
reams. Overflows. Back to Line
25] kail. Broth. Back to Line
26] riggin. Roof. Back to Line
28] gabs. Prattlers. Back to Line
29] eidant. Diligent. Back to Line
30] rax. Grow. Back to Line
34] spae. Foretell. Back to Line
37] sicken. Such. Back to Line
40] brulzies. Broils. Back to Line
41] gardies. Arms. Back to Line
43] yird. Earth. Back to Line
45] doughtna. Durse not. Back to Line
46] couthy cracks. Pleasant talk or chat. Back to Line
47] bicker. Bowl. Back to Line
48] blinks. Glimpses. Back to Line
49] mailins. Farms.
hash. Ruin. Back to Line
53] cutty-stool. Seat in church where unchaste women sat to receive a public rebuke in the service. Back to Line
54] Mess John. Minister. Back to Line
55] Not the slightest noise is among the children now. Back to Line
59] rangles. Rows.
low. Flame. Back to Line
61] Of wizards leaping around the scarecrow. Back to Line
62] win. Dwell. Back to Line
63] Which causes their hair to stand on end and makes them shake with fear. Back to Line
65] fleetch. Flatter. Back to Line
66] ky. Cows.
tint. Lost. Back to Line
67] scowder'd. Scorched. Back to Line
70] eild. Age. Back to Line
71] bairnly. Childish. Back to Line
74] dow'd. Withered.
runcles. Wrinkles. Back to Line
75] russet. Homespun cloth. Back to Line
76] stent. Allotted part of labor. Back to Line
77] buskit braw. Dressed up finely. Back to Line
78] heeze. Lift. Back to Line
79] cadgie. Cheerful. Back to Line
80] oy. Grandchild. Back to Line
81] foy. Final. Back to Line
82] lerroch. Place.
deas. Wooden bench. Back to Line
83] streeks. Stretches. Back to Line
84] lean. Resting place. Back to Line
85] doil'd. Wearied. Back to Line
86] badrins. Cats.
colly. Shepherd dog. Back to Line
89] kebbock whang'd. Cheese cut into large slices.
fadge. Loaf of bread.
prie. Taste. Back to Line
92] rigs. Ridges. Back to Line
93] birn. Burden.
bassie. The old horse. Back to Line
94] multure. Meal taken by the miller as toll.
thirling. Whirling. Back to Line
95] niest. Next. Back to Line
96] hawkies. Cows. Back to Line
97] Be careful lest Crummy (the cow) perform her usual tricks. Back to Line
98] ca' the leglen's treasure. Overturn the milk-pail's treasure. Back to Line
100] grien. Wish for. Back to Line
102] leaden god. Somnus, the god of sleep. Back to Line
103] hafflins steeks. Half-shuts. Back to Line
104] cruizy. Lamp. Back to Line
105] The fireplace has done what it was designed for. Back to Line
106] tacksman. Tenant-farmer. Back to Line
107] cod. Pillow.
drumly pow. Drowsy head. Back to Line
111] sock. Plowshare.
couter. Coulter.
gleyb. Glebe. Back to Line
112] bauks. Stalks. Back to Line
115] bien. Prosperous. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1773
RPO poem Editors
N. J. Endicott
RPO Edition
2RP.1.769; RPO 1996-2000.
Rhyme
ababcdcdd