The Ae Reward
Gae wauken up the Muses nine;
Tho’ we’ve nae plaited bays
Aroon’ their curly pows to twine,
We winna stent them praise.
Gin music tak’ her chanter doon,
Her sister start a sang,
The other saeven join the tune
An’ lift it lood an’ lang.
First set the tune to suit the time
When we were loons at school,
The sang can be a careless rhyme
Nae measured aff by rule.
We stole our pleasures then, prepared
Wi’ hands held out to pay;
Were aulder sins as easy squared,
Oor slates were clean the day.
Syne twa three bars in safter key
For days o’ youthfu’ love,
When lasses a’ to you an’ me
Were angels fae above.
Lang-leggit Time, but he was fleet
When we’d a lass the piece,
When bondage aye o’er a’ was sweet,
An’ freedom nae release.
Noo stamp an’ blaw a skirl o’ war—
The times that noo we hae,
An’ gin the need be near or far
We’re ready for the day.
The tykes are roon’ the lion’s lair,
We’ve seen the like before,
An’ seldom hae they wanted mair
When ance they heard him roar.
Syne choke the drones—ae reed’s enew
To play the days to come,
When auld Age stachers into view
An’ adds up a’ the sum.
We’ve loved an’ focht an’ sell’t an’ bocht
Until we’re short o’ breath;
The auld kirkyard the ae reward,
An’ that we get fae Death.