Great Nature spoke: observant man obey’d-Pope.
Let other heroes boast their scars,
The marks of sturtand strife:
And other poets sing of wars,
The plagues of human life:
Shame fa’the fun, wi’sword and gun
To slapmankind like lumber!
I sing his name, and nobler fame,
Whamultiplies our number.
Great Nature spoke, with airbenign,
“Go on, ye human race;
This lower world I you resign;
Be fruitful and increase.
The liquid fire of strong desire
I’ve pour’d it in each bosom;
Here, on this had, does Mankind stand,
And there is Beauty’s blossom.”
The Hero of these artless strains,
A lowly bard was he,
Who sung his rhymes in Coila’s plains,
With meiklemirth an’glee;
Kind Nature’s care had given his share
Large, of the flaming current;
And, all devout, he never sought
To stem the sacred torrent.
He felt the powerful, high behest
Thrill, vital, thro’ and thro’;
And sought a correspondent breast,
To give obedience due:
Propitious Powers screen’d the young flow’rs,
From mildews of abortion;
And low! the bard – a great reward –
Has got a double portion!
Auld cantieCoil may count the day,
As annual it returns,
The third of Libra’s equal sway,
That gave another Burns,
With future rhymes, an’other times,
To emulate his sire:
To sing auld Coilin nobler style
With more poetic fire.
Ye Powers of peace, and peaceful song,
Look down with gracious eyes;
And bless auldCoila, large and long,
With multiplying joys;
Langmay she stand to prop the land,
The flow’r of ancient nations;
And Burnses spring, her fame to sing,
To endless generations!