Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Dean of Faculty

Robert Burns

“The Dean of Faculty” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 372 1887 · historical text
Public domainScottish songSong lyrics
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Poetical Works of Robert Burns, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Dire was the hate at old Harlaw

That Scot to Scot did carry;

And dire the discord Langside saw,

For beauteous, hapless Mary.

But Scot with Scot ne'er met so hot,

Or were more in fury seen, Sir,

Than 'twixt Hal and Bob for the famous job-

Who should be Faculty's Dean, Sir.

Verse 2

This Hal for genius, wit, and lore,

Among the first was number'd;

But pious Bob, 'mid learning's store,

Commandment the tenth remember'd.

Yet simple Bob the victory got,

And won his heart's desire ;

Which shews that heaven can boil the pot,

Though the devil piss in the fire.

Verse 3

Squire Hal besides had, in this case,

Pretensions rather brassy,

For talents to deserve a place

Are qualifications saucy;

So their worships of the Faculty,

Quite sick of merit's rudeness,

Chose one who should owe it all, d'ye see,

To their gratis grace and goodness.

Verse 4

As once on Pisgah purg'd was the sight

Of a son of Circumcision,

So may be, on this Pisgah height,

Bob's purblind, mental vision;

Nay, Bobby's mouth may be open'd yet,

Till for eloquence you hail him,

And swear he has the Angel met

That met the Ass of Balaam.

Verse 5

In your heretic sins may ye live and die,

Ye heretic eight and thirty!

But accept, ye sublime Majority,

My congratulations hearty,

With your Honors and a certain King

In your servants this is striking—

The more incapacity they bring,

The more they're to your liking.

Credits

Written by Robert Burns

Words by Robert Burns. Historical text published in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887), “The Dean of Faculty”

Every text in this 1887 collected edition is by Robert Burns (1759-1796), who died more than 230 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination and a pre-1931 United States publication.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-25. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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