Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Tragic Fragment

Robert Burns

“Tragic Fragment” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 479 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

'All devil as I am, a damned wretch,

'A harden'd, stubborn, unrepenting villain,

'Still my heart melts at human wretchedness;

'And with sincere tho' unavailing sighs

'I view the helpless children of distress.

'With tears of indignation I behold th' oppressor

'Rejoicing in the honest man's destruction,

"Whose unsubmitting heart was all his crime.

"Even you, ye helpless crew, I pity you;

'Ye, whom the seeming good think sin to pity;

'Ye poor, despis'd, abandon'd vagabonds,

'Whom Vice, as usual, has turn'd o'er to Ruin.

"O but for kind, tho' ill-requited friends,

'I had been driven forth like you forlorn,

'The most detested, worthless wretch among you!

'O injur❜d God! thy goodness has endow'd me

'With talents passing most of my compeers,

'Which I in just proportion have abus'd,

'As far surpassing other common villains,

'As Thou in natural parts hadst given me more.'

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), “Tragic Fragment”

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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