The Holy Fair
The Holy Fair
Original Text
Robert Burns, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Kilmarnock, 1786). PR 4300 1786a K5a SMR. (Edinburgh, 1797.) B-10 0051 Fisher Rare Book Library (Toronto).
A note of seeming truth and trust
Hid crafty observation;
And secret hung, with poison'd crust,
The dirk of defamation:
A mask that like the gorget show'd
Dye-varying, on the pigeon;
And for a mantle large and broad,
He wrapt him in Religion.
(Hypocrisy-à-la-Mode)
2 When Nature's face is fair,
3I walked forth to view the corn
6 Wi' glorious light was glintin,
9 Fu' sweet that day.
11 To see a scene sae gay,
14Twa had manteeles o' dolefu' black,
16The third, that gaed a wee a-back,
17 Was in the fashion shining
18 Fu' gay that day.
19The twa appear'd like sisters twin
20 In feature, form, an' claes;
21Their visage wither'd, lang an' thin,
24 As light as ony lambie,
26 As soon as e'er she saw me,
27 Fu' kind that day.
28Wi' bonnet aff, quoth I, "Sweet lass,
29 I think ye seem to ken me;
30I'm sure I've seen that bonie face,
31 But yet I canna name ye."
32Quo' she, an' laughin as she spak,
33 An' taks me by the han's,
35 Of a' the ten comman's
37"My name is Fun--your cronie dear,
38 The nearest friend ye hae;
39An' this is Superstition here,
40 An' that's Hypocrisy.
44 We will get famous laughin
45 At them this day."
46Quoth I, "With a' my heart, I'll do't:
48An' meet you on the holy spot;
49 Faith, we'se hae fine remarkin!"
51 An' soon I made me ready;
52For roads were clad frae side to side
53 Wi' monie a wearie body
54 In droves that day.
58 Are springin owre the gutters.
60 In silks an' scarlets glitter,
64When by the plate we set our nose,
65 Weel heaped up wi' ha'pence,
67 An' we maun draw our tippence.
68Then in we go to see the show:
69 On ev'ry side they're gath'rin,
72 Right loud that day.
82Here some are thinkin on their sins,
83 An' some upo' their claes;
85 Anither sighs an' prays:
87 Wi' screw'd-up grace-proud faces;
88On that a set o' chaps at watch,
90 To chairs that day.
91O happy is that man and blest!
92 Nae wonder that it pride him!
93Whase ain dear lass that he likes best,
95Wi' arm repos'd on the chair back,
96 He sweetly does compose him;
97Which by degrees slips round her neck,
99 Unken'd that day.
100Now a' the congregation o'er
101 Is silent expectation;
103 Wi' tidings o' salvation.
104Should Hornie, as in ancient days,
105 'Mang sons o' God present him,
107 To's ain het hame had sent him
108 Wi' fright that day.
109Hear how he clears the points o' faith
110 Wi' rattlin an' wi' thumpin!
111Now meekly calm, now wild in wrath
112 He's stampin, an' he's jumpin!
113His lengthen'd chin, his turn'd-up snout,
115Oh, how they fire the heart devout
116 Like cantharidian plaisters,
117 On sic a day!
118But hark! the tent has chang'd its voice:
119 There's peace and rest nae langer;
120For a' the real judges rise,
121 They canna sit for anger.
123 On practice and on morals;
124An' aff the godly pour in thrangs,
125 To gie the jars an' barrels
126 A lift that day.
127What signifies his barren shine
128 Of moral pow'rs and reason?
129His English style an' gesture fine
130 Are a' clean out o' season.
132 Or some auld pagan heathen,
133The moral man he does define,
134 But ne'er a word o' faith in
135 That's right that day.
136In guid time comes an antidote
137 Against sic poison'd nostrum;
139 Ascends the holy rostrum:
140See, up he's got the word o' God
142While Common Sense has ta'en the road,
144 Fast, fast that day.
147Tho' in his heart he weel believes
148 An' thinks it auld wives' fables:
151Altho' his carnal wit an' sense
153 At times that day.
158While thick an' thrang, an' loud an' lang,
159 Wi' logic an' wi' Scripture,
160They raise a din, that in the end
161 Is like to breed a rupture
162 O' wrath that day.
164 Than either school or college
168 Or ony stronger potion,
169It never fails, on drinkin deep,
171 By night or day.
172The lads an' lasses, blythely bent
173 To mind baith saul an' body,
174Sit round the table weel content,
176On this ane's dress an' that ane's leuk
177 They're makin observations;
179 An' forming assignations
180 To meet some day.
183An' echoes back return the shouts--
184 Black Russell is na sparin.
185His piercing words, like highlan' swords,
186 Divide the joints an' marrow;
187His talk o' hell, whare devils dwell,
189 Wi' fright that day.
190A vast, unbottom'd, boundless pit,
192Whase ragin flame, an' scorching heat
193 Wad melt the hardest whun-stane!
194The half-asleep start up wi' fear
195 An' think they hear it roarin,
196When presently it does appear
197 'Twas but some neibor snorin,
198 Asleep that day.
199'Twad be owre lang a tale to tell,
200 How mony stories past,
201An' how they crouded to the yill,
202 When they were a' dismist:
204 Amang the furms an' benches:
205An' cheese and bred frae women's laps
206 Was dealt about in lunches
209 An' sits down by the fire,
211 The lasses they are shyer:
212The auld guidmen, about the grace
213 Frae side to side they bother,
214Till some ane by his bonnet lays,
216 Fu' lang that day.
217Waesucks! for him that gets nae lass,
218 Or lasses that hae naething!
219Sma' need has he to say a grace,
221O wives, be mindfu' ance yoursel
222 How bonie lads ye wanted,
223An' dinna for a kebbuck-heel
224 Let lasses be affronted
225 On sic a day!
229 Some wait the afternoon.
231 Till lasses strip their shoon:
232Wi' faith an' hope, an' love an' drink,
233 They're a' in famous tune
235How monie hearts this day converts
236 O' sinners and o' lasses
238 As saft as ony flesh is.
239There's some are fou o' love divine,
240 There's some are fou o' brandy;
241An' monie jobs that day begin,
243 Some ither day.
Notes
1] Burns says: "Holy Fair is a common phrase in the West of Scotland for a Sacramental occasion." Large numbers came from a considerable distance to these services, often bringing with them supplies for the day; so that it was a sort of religious picnic, resembling somewhat the old-fashioned camp-meeting on this continent. There was preaching outside the church, sometimes in a tent, while the communion service was going on within the sacred building. The preachers here described were real persons, and the details are no doubt realistic, though coloured by the satirical purpose. (Asterisks were used instead of names in the Kilmarnock edition.)
simmer: summer. Back to Line
simmer: summer. Back to Line
4] caller: fresh. Back to Line
5] Galston: in Ayrshire in the neighbourhood of Burns's home. Back to Line
7] hirplin: hopping.
furrs: furrows. Back to Line
furrs: furrows. Back to Line
8] lav'rocks: larks. Back to Line
10] glowr'd: stared. Back to Line
12] hizzies: hussies. Back to Line
13] skelpin: hurrying. Back to Line
15] lyart: grey. Back to Line
22] slaes: sloes. Back to Line
23] lowp: leap. Back to Line
25] curchie: curtsey. Back to Line
34] feck: the greater part. Back to Line
36] screed: rip, rent. Back to Line
41] Mauchline: the nearest village to Burns's home. Back to Line
42] daffin: sport. Back to Line
43] runkl'd: wrinkled. Back to Line
47] sark: shirt. Back to Line
50] crowdie-time: porridge-time. Back to Line
55] gash: self-complacent.
graith: gear. Back to Line
graith: gear. Back to Line
56] hoddin: jogging (in their carts). Back to Line
57] swankies: strapping fellows. Back to Line
59] thrang: thronging. Back to Line
61] whang: slice. Back to Line
62] farls: small oat-cakes. Back to Line
63] crump: crisp. Back to Line
66] black-bonnet. The elder who stood at the door with a plate for the collection, wore a black bonnet. Back to Line
70] dails: boards. Back to Line
71] bleth'rin: gabbling. Back to Line
84] fyl'd: soiled, defiled. Back to Line
86] swatch: sample. Back to Line
89] thrang: busy. Back to Line
94] clinkin: indicates quick motion. Back to Line
98] loof: palm of the hand. Back to Line
102] Moodie: the Rev. Alexander Moodie of Riccarton.
speels: climbs. Back to Line
speels: climbs. Back to Line
106] Reference to Job, I: 6. Back to Line
114] eldritch: unearthly. Back to Line
122] Smith: the Rev. George Smith of Gaston. Back to Line
131] Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher. the author of the Meditations. Back to Line
138] Peebles: the Rev. William Peebles.
water-fit: water-foot, i.e., mouth of a river; here, Newton-on-Ayr. Back to Line
water-fit: water-foot, i.e., mouth of a river; here, Newton-on-Ayr. Back to Line
141] mim: prim. Back to Line
143] Cowgate: name of the street which led from the church at Mauchline. Back to Line
145] Miller: the Rev. Alexander Miller.
niest: next. Back to Line
niest: next. Back to Line
146] raibles: recites by rote. Back to Line
149] birkie: fellow. Back to Line
150] cannilie: quietly and cunningly.
hums: humbugs. Back to Line
hums: humbugs. Back to Line
152] Like hafflins-wise: nearly half. Back to Line
154] A Scottish cottage had two main rooms, the kitchen, or but, and the parlour, or ben. The change-house (tavern) was completely filled. Back to Line
155] yill-caup: ale-cup. Back to Line
156] bakes and gills: biscuits and glasses of liquor. Back to Line
157] stowp: a drinking-vessel. Back to Line
163] Leeze me: A blessing on. Back to Line
165] lear: learning. Back to Line
166] pangs: crams. Back to Line
167] penny-wheep: small beer. Back to Line
170] kittle: tickle. Back to Line
175] steer: stir. Back to Line
178] neuk: nook, corner. Back to Line
181] touts: sounds. Back to Line
182] rairin: roaring. Back to Line
188] The words in quotation marks are borrowed from Hamlet, I, v, 14. Back to Line
191] fou: full.
lowing brunstone: flaming brimstone. Back to Line
lowing brunstone: flaming brimstone. Back to Line
203] cogs: wooden vessels larger than caups (cups). Back to Line
207] dauds: large pieces. Back to Line
208] gaucie: jolly. Back to Line
210] kebbuck: cheese. Back to Line
215] tether: rope. Back to Line
220] melvie: make dusty. Back to Line
226] Clinkumbell: the bell-ringer.
rattlin tow: rattling rope, i.e., a chain. Back to Line
rattlin tow: rattling rope, i.e., a chain. Back to Line
227] jow and croon: swing and toll. Back to Line
228] dow: can. Back to Line
230] slaps: openings in the hedges.
billies: fellows. Back to Line
billies: fellows. Back to Line
234] crack: talk. Back to Line
237] gin night: by nightfall. Back to Line
242] houghmagandie: immorality. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1786
RPO poem Editors
G. G. Falle
RPO Edition
3RP 2.305
Rhyme