To a haggis


Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
	Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
	As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
	In time o'need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
	Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
	Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
	Warm-reekin, rich!

Then horn for horn they stretch an' strive,
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
	Are bent like drums;
Then auld guidman, maist like to ryve,
	Bethankit hums.

Is there that o'er his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
	Wi' perfect sconner
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
	On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash.
His spindle shank a guid whip lash,
	His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
	O how unfit!

But mark the rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
	He'll mak it whissle;
An legs, an' arms, an' heads will sneed,
	Like taps o'thrissle.

Ye powers, wha mak mankind your care
And dish them out their bill o'fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
	That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
	Gie her a Haggis!

			Robert Burns
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Translations:

aboon = above	
bead = a quantity of spirits
belyve = quickly, soon
bethankit = God be thanked!
clap = pressed against
deil = devil
feckless = ineffective
hurdies = buttocks, hips
jaup = splash, spill
kyte = stomach, belly
luggie = small wooden milk bowl
maist = most
nieve = fist
nit = the egg of the head louse
olio = oil?
onie = any
painch = Animal entrails as food, tripe
rash = rush (a plant)
sconner = feeling of disgust, aversion or loathing
skinking = wishy washy drink
slight = the knack or method of doing something
sneed = to bind your hair with a band
sonsie = fine, impressive, handsome
staw = become nauseated by food
thairm = Animal gut or intestine
thrissle = thistle
walie = big, strong 
ware = goods
weel = well
whissle = a swipe or swingeing blow