Hughie’s Waddin’ Gift to his Friend Jame, pp.41-43.

[Horace in Homespun Contents]

Ne quis modici transiliat munera Liberi.” – CAR. I., 18. 

YE’RE leavin’ ‘s Jame! nae langer noo 

To rank amon’ the wanters – 

By way o’ waddin’ gift fra Hugh 

Accepp thir twa decanters. 

They’re fill’d wi’ Scotland’s noblest juice – 

An’ whaur’s a nobler liquor? 

They’ll aiblins help to heat your hoose, 

An’ mak’ your union siccar. 

– 

Ye’ll hae your joys: John Barleycorn 

May wi’ advantage share them! 

Ye’ll hae your griefs: fill up your horn – 

He’ll gie ye hert to bear them! 

Tak’ aff your dram an’ crack your joke 

Hoo-ever Fortun’ vary; 

It’s only aye to watter folk 

She’s cauldrife an’ contrairy! 

– 

Ye’re puir; but, Jamie, tak’ nae thocht, – 

The maist o’ folk are born till’t! 

Dae weel; syne if ye’re fash’d wi’ ocht, 

Lift up a hielant horn till’t! 

We’ve a’ oor troubles mair or less, 

But to cry oot – it’s weak-like; 

Regairdit thro’ a social gless 

The warld’s nane sae bleak-like! 

– 

Yet, when ye at the board unbend 

At nae unworthy season, 

Be mindfu’ aye to mak’ an end 

Conformable to reason. 

For aince if owre the boon’s they win, 

The passions quickly speak oot, 

An’ secrets, that are safer in, 

Are likelier then to leak oot. 

– 

Then self-indulgence, lang alloo’d, 

Becomes a second nature 

To change the mainner an’ the mood, 

An’ e’en the very feature. 

There’s Rabbie wi’ the muckle mooth 

That married Meg that  mantit – 

He drank himsel’ into a drooth, 

An’ noo he canna want it! 

– 

An’ then there’s gauger Pate – but he 

‘S nae waur than what his wife is; 

Ye’ll read it in his blecken’d ee 

What his domestic life is. 

Tak’ warnin’, Jamie, by their case, 

An’ learn fra their example, 

While pleasure’s in the mod’rate use, 

The mod’rate use is ample. 

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