The warl' may play you monie a shavie, [ill turn]
But for the Muse, she'll never leave ye,
Tho' e'er sae puir; [so poor]
Na, even tho' limpin wi' the spavie [spavin]
Frae door to door!

Once more, half scolding, half flattering:

Ye glaikit, gleesome, dainty damies, [giddy]
Wha by Castalia's wimplin streamies [winding]
Lowp, sing, and lave your pretty limbies, [Dance]
Ye ken, ye ken,
That strang necessity supreme is
'Mang sons o' men.

The epigrams, epitaphs, elegies, and other occasional verses thrown
off by Burns and diligently collected by his editors need little
discussion. They not infrequently exhibit the less generous sides of
his character, and but seldom demand rereading on account of their
neatness or felicity or energy. One may be given as an example:


ON JOHN DOVE, INNKEEPER

Here lies Johnie Pigeon:
What was his religion
Whae'er desires to ken
In some other warl' [world]
Maun follow the carl [Must, old fellow]
For here Johnie Pigeon had none!