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The Poems of Robert Burns; The Poet of Religion, Democracy, Brotherhood and Love
The Poems of Robert Burns The Poet of Religion Democracy Brotherhood and Love Author:Robert Burns General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1920 Original Publisher: George H. Doran Company Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where... more » you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: MY FATHER WAS A FARMER MY FATHER WAS A FARMER My father was a farmer upon the Carrick border, And carefully he bred me in decency and order; He bade me act a manly part, though I had ne'er a farthing; For without an honest manly heart, no man was worth regarding. Then out into the world my course I did determine; Tho' to be rich was not my wish, yet to be great was charming: My talents they were not the worst, not yet my education. Resolv'd was I, at least to try, to mend my situation. In many a way, and vain essay, I courted Fortune's favour; Some cause unseen still stept between, to frustrate each endeavour; Sometimes by foes I was o'erpower'd, sometimes by friends forsaken; And when my hope was at the top, I still was worst mistaken. Then sore harass'd, and tir'd at last, with Fortune's vain delusion, I dropt my schemes, like idle dreams, and came to this conclusion: The past was bad, and the future hid, its good or ill untried ; But the present hour was in my pow'r, and so I would enjoy it. No help, nor hope, nor view had I, nor person to befriend me; So I must toil, and sweat, and moil, and labour to sustain me; To plough and sow, to reap and mow, my father bred me early; For one, he said, to labour bred, was a match for Fortune fairly. Thus all obscure, unknown, and poor, thro' life I'm doom'd to wander, Till down my weary bones I lay in everlasting slumber; No view nor care, but shun whate'er might breed me pain or sorrow; I live to-day as well's I may, regardless of to-morrow. But cheerful still, I am as well as a monarch...« less