Address to the Deil

O Thou! whatever title suit thee,

Auld Hornie, Satan, Nick, or Clootie,

Wha in yon cavern grim an' sootie,

Clos'd under hatches,

Spairges about the brunstane cootie,

To scaud poor wretches!

Hear me, auld Hangie, for a wee,

An' let poor damned bodies be;

I'm sure sma' pleasure it can gie,

Ev'n to a deil,

To skelp an' scaud poor dogs like me,

An' hear us squeel!

Great is thy pow'r, an' great thy fame;

Far kend an' noted is thy name;

An' tho' yon lowin heugh's thy hame,

Thou travels far;

An' faith! thou's neither lag nor lame,

Nor blate nor scaur.

Whyles, ranging like a roarin lion

For prey, a' holes an' corners tryin;

Whyles on the strong-wing'd Tempest flyin,

Tirlin the kirks;

Whyles, in the human bosom pryin,

Unseen thou lurks.

I've heard my reverend Graunie say,

In lanely glens ye like to stray;

Or where auld, ruin'd castles, gray,

Nod to the moon,

Ye fright the nightly wand'rer's way,

Wi' eldritch croon.

When twilight did my Graunie summon,

To say her pray'rs, douce, honest woman!

Aft yont the dyke she's heard you bummin,

Wi' eerie drone;

Or, rustlin, thro' the boortrees comin,

Wi' heavy groan.

Ae dreary, windy, winter night,

The stars shot down wi' sklentin light,

Wi' you, mysel, I gat a fright,

Ayont the lough;

Ye, like a rash-buss, stood in sight,

Wi' waving sugh.

The cudgel in my nieve did shake,

Each bristl'd hair stood like a stake,

When wi' an eldritch, stoor quaick, quaick,

Amang the springs,

Awa ye squatter'd like a drake,

On whistling wings.

Let warlocks grim, an' wither'd hags,

Tell how wi' you on ragweed nags,

They skim the muirs, an' dizzy crags,

Wi' wicked speed;

And in kirk-yards renew their leagues,

Owre howkit dead.

Thence, countra wives, wi' toil an' pain,

May plunge an' plunge the kirn in vain;

For, Oh! the yellow treasure's taen

By witching skill;

An' dawtit, twal-pint Hawkie's gaen

As yell's the Bill.

Thence, mystic knots mak great abuse,

On young Guidmen, fond, keen, an' crouse;

When the best wark-lume i' the house,

By cantrip wit,

Is instant made no worth a louse,

Just at the bit.

When thowes dissolve the snawy hoord,

An' float the jinglin icy-boord,

Then, Water-kelpies haunt the foord,

By your direction,

An' nighted Trav'llers are allur'd

To their destruction.

An' aft your moss-traversing Spunkies

Decoy the wight that late an' drunk is:

The bleezin, curst, mischievous monkies

Delude his eyes,

Till in some miry slough he sunk is,

Ne'er mair to rise.

When Mason's mystic word an' grip,

In storms an' tempests raise you up,

Some cock or cat your rage maun stop,

Or, strange to tell!

The youngest Brother ye wad whip

Aff straught to hell.

Lang syne, in Eden's bonie yard,

When youthfu' lovers first were pair'd,

An' all the soul of love they shar'd,

The raptur'd hour,

Sweet on the fragrant, flow'ry swaird,

In shady bow'r:

Then you, ye auld, snick-drawing dog!

Ye came to Paradise incog.

An' play'd on man a cursed brogue,

(Black be you fa!)

An' gied the infant warld a shog,

'Maist ruin'd a'.

D'ye mind that day, when in a bizz,

Wi' reekit duds, an' reestit gizz,

Ye did present your smoutie phiz,

'Mang better folk,

An' sklented on the man of Uzz

Your spitefu' joke?

An' how ye gat him i' your thrall,

An' brak him out o' house an' hal',

While scabs an' blotches did him gall,

Wi' bitter claw,

An' lows'd his ill-tongu'd, wicked Scawl,

Was warst ava?

But a' your doings to rehearse,

Your wily snares an' fechtin fierce,

Sin' that day Michael did you pierce,

Down to this time,

Wad ding a' Lallan tongue, or Erse,

In prose or rhyme.

An' now, auld Cloots, I ken ye're thinkin,

A certain Bardie's rantin, drinkin,

Some luckless hour will send him linkin,

To your black pit;

But, faith! he'll turn a corner jinkin,

An' cheat you yet.

But, fare you weel, auld Nickie-ben!

O wad ye tak a thought an' men'!

Ye aiblins might—I dinna ken—

Still hae a stake—

I'm wae to think upo' yon den,

Ev'n for your sake!