Inspiring bold John Barleycorn!
What dangers thou canst make us scorn?
Wi tippenny, we fear nae evil; [ale]
Wi' usquebae, we'll face the devil! [whisky]
The swats sae ream'd in Tammie's noddle, [ale]
Fair play, he car'd na deils a boddle! [farthing]
But Maggie stood right sair astonish'd,
Till by the heel and hand admonish'd,
She ventur'd forward on the light;
And, vow! Tam saw an unco sight! [strange]
Warlocks and witches in a dance!
Nae cotillon brent new frae France, [brand]
But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels,
Put life and mettle in their heels.
A winnock-bunker in the east, [window-seat]
There sat auld Nick, in shape o' beast--
A touzie tyke, black, grim, and large! [shaggy dog]
To gie them music was his charge:
He screw'd the pipes and gart them skirl. [squeal]
Till roof and rafters a' did dirl. [ring]
Coffins stood round like open presses,
That shaw'd the dead in their last dresses;
And by some devilish cantraip sleight [magic trick]
Each in its cauld hand held a light,
By which heroic Tam was able
To note upon the haly table [holy]
A murderer's banes in gibbet-airns; [-irons]
Twa span-lang, wee, unchristen'd bairns;
A thief new-cutted frae the rape--
Wi' his last gasp his gab did gape;
Five tomahawks, wi' blude red rusted;
Five scymitars, wi' murder crusted;
A garter, which a babe had strangled;
A knife, a father's throat had mangled,
Whom his ain son o' life bereft--
The gray hairs yet stack to the heft;
Wi' mair of horrible and awfu',
Which even to name wad be unlawfu'.
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