This truth fand honest Tam o' Shanter, [found]
As he frae Ayr ae night did canter-- [one]
(Auld Ayr, wham ne'er a town surpasses
For honest men and bonnie lasses).
O Tam! hadst thou but been sae wise
As ta'en thy ain wife Kate's advice!
She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum, [told, good-for-nothing]
A bletherin', blusterin', drunken blellum; [chattering, babbler]
That frae November till October,
Ae market-day thou was na sober; [One]
That ilka melder wi' the miller [every meal-grinding]
Thou sat as lang as thou had siller; [money]
That every naig was ca'd a shoe on, [nag]
The smith and thee gat roarin' fou on;
That at the Lord's house, even on Sunday,
Thou drank wi' Kirkton Jean till Monday.
She prophesied that, late or soon,
Thou would be found deep drown'd in Doon;
Or catch'd wi' warlocks in the mirk [wizards, dark]
By Alloway's auld haunted kirk.
Ah, gentle dames! it gars me greet [makes, weep]
To think how many counsels sweet,
How mony lengthen'd sage advices,
The husband frae the wife despises!
But to our tale: Ae market night,
Tam had got planted unco right, [uncommonly]
Fast by an ingle, bleezing finely, [fireside, blazing]
Wi' reaming swats, that drank divinely; [foaming ale]
And at his elbow, Souter Johnny, [Cobbler]
His ancient, trusty, drouthy crony;
Tam lo'ed him like a very brither; [loved]
They had been fou for weeks thegither.
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