Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

To Terraughty, on his Birthday

Robert Burns

“To Terraughty, on his Birthday” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 467 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

Health to the Maxwells' vet'ran Chief!

Health, aye unsour'd by care or grief:

Inspir'd, I turn'd Fate's sibyl leaf

This natal morn,

I see thy life is stuff o' prief,

Scarce quite half worn.

Verse 2

This day thou metes threescore eleven,

And I can tell that bounteous Heaven

(The second-sight, ye ken, is given

To ilka Poet)

On thee a tack o' seven times seven

Will yet bestow it.

Verse 3

If envious buckies view wi' sorrow

Thy lengthen'd days on this blest morrow,

May desolation's lang-teeth'd harrow,

Nine miles an hour,

Rake them, like Sodom and Gomorrah,

In brunstane stoure—

Verse 4

But for thy friends, and they are monie,

Baith honest men and lasses bonie,

May couthie fortune, kind and cannie,

In social glee,

Wi' mornings blithe and e'enings funny

Bless them and thee!

Verse 5

Fareweel, auld birkie! Lord be near ye,

And then the Deil he daurna steer ye:

Your friends aye love, your faes aye fear ye;

For me, shame fa' me,

If neist my heart I dinna wear ye

While Burns they ca' me.

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), “To Terraughty, on his Birthday”

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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