The Holy Fair Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCBDBC EFEFGEGEH DHCHIEIJH EGEGKLKLH GLGLIGMGH NOPGFEFEH GEQERGSGH TGTGMUMUH GGGGVEGEH GGGGWGWGH XYXYMYMZH UEA2EGYGYH TETEB2GB2GH GUGUGGGGH EEEEEEEEH C2YD2YE2D2CCC GGGGGYGYC GGGGMUCUC FF2NG2KEKEC CCCCMGMGC GEGEGVH2VC CECENENEC H2CH2CGGGGC I2UI2UGUGUC GMGMH2CH2CC CECEMEMEC GGEGECECCA note of seeming truth and trust | A |
Hid crafty observation | B |
And secret hung with poison'd crust | A |
The dirk of defamation | B |
A mask that like the gorget show'd | C |
Dye varying on the pigeon | B |
And for a mantle large and broad | D |
He wrapt him in Religion | B |
Hypocrisy agrave la Mode | C |
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Upon a simmer Sunday morn | E |
When Nature's face is fair | F |
I walked forth to view the corn | E |
An' snuff the caller air | F |
The risin' sun owre Galston muirs | G |
Wi' glorious light was glintin | E |
The hares were hirplin down the furrs | G |
The lav'rocks they were chantin | E |
Fu' sweet that day | H |
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As lightsomely I glowr'd abroad | D |
To see a scene sae gay | H |
Three hizzies early at the road | C |
Cam skelpin up the way | H |
Twa had manteeles o' dolefu' black | I |
But ane wi' lyart linin | E |
The third that gaed a wee a back | I |
Was in the fashion shining | J |
Fu' gay that day | H |
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The twa appear'd like sisters twin | E |
In feature form an' claes | G |
Their visage wither'd lang an' thin | E |
An' sour as ony slaes | G |
The third cam up hap step an' lowp | K |
As light as ony lambie | L |
An' wi' a curchie low did stoop | K |
As soon as e'er she saw me | L |
Fu' kind that day | H |
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Wi' bonnet aff quoth I Sweet lass | G |
I think ye seem to ken me | L |
I'm sure I've seen that bonie face | G |
But yet I canna name ye | L |
Quo' she an' laughin as she spak | I |
An' taks me by the han's | G |
Ye for my sake hae gien the feck | M |
Of a' the ten comman's | G |
A screed some day | H |
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My name is Fun your cronie dear | N |
The nearest friend ye hae | O |
An' this is Superstition here | P |
An' that's Hypocrisy | G |
I'm gaun to Mauchline Holy Fair | F |
To spend an hour in daffin | E |
Gin ye'll go there you runkl'd pair | F |
We will get famous laughin | E |
At them this day | H |
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Quoth I With a' my heart I'll do't | G |
I'll get my Sunday's sark on | E |
An' meet you on the holy spot | Q |
Faith we'se hae fine remarkin | E |
Then I gaed hame at crowdie time | R |
An' soon I made me ready | G |
For roads were clad frae side to side | S |
Wi' monie a wearie body | G |
In droves that day | H |
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Here farmers gash in ridin graith | T |
Gaed hoddin by their cotters | G |
There swankies young in braw braidclaith | T |
Are springin owre the gutters | G |
The lasses skelpin barefit thrang | M |
In silks an' scarlets glitter | U |
Wi' sweet milk cheese in mony a whang | M |
An' farls bak'd wi' butter | U |
Fu' crump that day | H |
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When by the plate we set our nose | G |
Weel heaped up wi' ha'pence | G |
A greedy glowr Black Bonnet throws | G |
An' we maun draw our tippence | G |
Then in we go to see the show | V |
On ev'ry side they're gath'rin | E |
Some carryin dails some chairs an' stools | G |
An' some are busy bleth'rin | E |
Right loud that day | H |
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Here some are thinkin on their sins | G |
An' some upo' their claes | G |
Ane curses feet that fyl'd his shins | G |
Anither sighs an' prays | G |
On this hand sits a chosen swatch | W |
Wi' screw'd up grace proud faces | G |
On that a set o' chaps at watch | W |
Thrang winkin on the lasses | G |
To chairs that day | H |
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O happy is that man and blest | X |
Nae wonder that it pride him | Y |
Whase ain dear lass that he likes best | X |
Comes clinkin down beside him | Y |
Wi' arm repos'd on the chair back | M |
He sweetly does compose him | Y |
Which by degrees slips round her neck | M |
An's loof upon her bosom | Z |
Unken'd that day | H |
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Now a' the congregation o'er | U |
Is silent expectation | E |
For Moodie speels the holy door | A2 |
Wi' tidings o' salvation | E |
Should Hornie as in ancient days | G |
'Mang sons o' God present him | Y |
The vera sight o' Moodie's face | G |
To's ain het hame had sent him | Y |
Wi' fright that day | H |
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Hear how he clears the points o' faith | T |
Wi' rattlin an' wi' thumpin | E |
Now meekly calm now wild in wrath | T |
He's stampin an' he's jumpin | E |
His lengthen'd chin his turn'd up snout | B2 |
His eldritch squeal and gestures | G |
Oh how they fire the heart devout | B2 |
Like cantharidian plaisters | G |
On sic a day | H |
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But hark the tent has chang'd its voice | G |
There's peace and rest nae langer | U |
For a' the real judges rise | G |
They canna sit for anger | U |
Smith opens out his cauld harangues | G |
On practice and on morals | G |
An' aff the godly pour in thrangs | G |
To gie the jars an' barrels | G |
A lift that day | H |
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What signifies his barren shine | E |
Of moral pow'rs and reason | E |
His English style an' gesture fine | E |
Are a' clean out o' season | E |
Like Socrates or Antonine | E |
Or some auld pagan heathen | E |
The moral man he does define | E |
But ne'er a word o' faith in | E |
That's right that day | H |
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In guid time comes an antidote | C2 |
Against sic poison'd nostrum | Y |
For Peebles frae the water fit | D2 |
Ascends the holy rostrum | Y |
See up he's got the word o' God | E2 |
An' meek an' mim has view'd it | D2 |
While Common Sense has ta'en the road | C |
An's aff an' up the Cowgate | C |
Fast fast that day | C |
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Wee Miller niest the Guard relieves | G |
An' Orthodoxy raibles | G |
Tho' in his heart he weel believes | G |
An' thinks it auld wives' fables | G |
But faith the birkie wants a Manse | G |
So cannilie he hums them | Y |
Altho' his carnal wit an' sense | G |
Like hafflins wise o'ercomes him | Y |
At times that day | C |
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Now butt an' ben the change house fills | G |
Wi' yill caup commentators | G |
Here's cryin out for bakes an gills | G |
An' there the pint stowp clatters | G |
While thick an' thrang an' loud an' lang | M |
Wi' logic an' wi' Scripture | U |
They raise a din that in the end | C |
Is like to breed a rupture | U |
O' wrath that day | C |
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Leeze me on drink it gies us mair | F |
Than either school or college | F2 |
It kindles wit it waukens lear | N |
It pangs us fou o' knowledge | G2 |
Be't whisky gill or penny wheep | K |
Or ony stronger potion | E |
It never fails on drinkin deep | K |
To kittle up our notion | E |
By night or day | C |
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The lads an' lasses blythely bent | C |
To mind baith saul an' body | C |
Sit round the table weel content | C |
An' steer about the toddy | C |
On this ane's dress an' that ane's leuk | M |
They're makin observations | G |
While some are cozie i' the neuk | M |
An' forming assignations | G |
To meet some day | C |
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But now the Lord's ain trumpet touts | G |
Till a' the hills rae rairin | E |
An' echoes back return the shouts | G |
Black Russell is na sparin | E |
His piercing words like highlan' swords | G |
Divide the joints an' marrow | V |
His talk o' hell whare devils dwell | H2 |
Our vera sauls does harrow | V |
Wi' fright that day | C |
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A vast unbottom'd boundless pit | C |
Fill'd fou o' lowin brunstane | E |
Whase ragin flame an' scorching heat | C |
Wad melt the hardest whun stane | E |
The half asleep start up wi' fear | N |
An' think they hear it roarin | E |
When presently it does appear | N |
'Twas but some neibor snorin | E |
Asleep that day | C |
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'Twad be owre lang a tale to tell | H2 |
How mony stories past | C |
An' how they crouded to the yill | H2 |
When they were a' dismist | C |
How drink gaed round in cogs an' caups | G |
Amang the furms an' benches | G |
An' cheese and bred frae women's laps | G |
Was dealt about in lunches | G |
An' dauds that day | C |
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In comes a gausie gash guidwife | I2 |
An' sits down by the fire | U |
Syne draws her kebbuck an' her knife | I2 |
The lasses they are shyer | U |
The auld guidmen about the grace | G |
Frae side to side they bother | U |
Till some ane by his bonnet lays | G |
And gi'es them't like a tether | U |
Fu' lang that day | C |
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Waesucks for him that gets nae lass | G |
Or lasses that hae naething | M |
Sma' need has he to say a grace | G |
Or melvie his braw clathing | M |
O wives be mindfu' ance yoursel | H2 |
How bonie lads ye wanted | C |
An' dinna for a kebbuck heel | H2 |
Let lasses be affronted | C |
On sic a day | C |
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Now Clinkumbell wi' rattlin tow | C |
Begins to jow an' croon | E |
Some swagger hame the best they dow | C |
Some wait the afternoon | E |
At slaps the billies halt a blink | M |
Till lasses strip their shoon | E |
Wi' faith an' hope an' love an' drink | M |
They're a' in famous tune | E |
For crack that day | C |
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How monie hearts this day converts | G |
O' sinners and o' lasses | G |
Their hearts o' stane gin night are gane | E |
As saft as ony flesh is | G |
There's some are fou o' love divine | E |
There's some are fou o' brandy | C |
An' monie jobs that day begin | E |
May end in houghmagandie | C |
Some ither day | C |
Robert Burns
(1)
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