Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn,
they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit!" 'hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a haggis!

~~~~~~

Robert Burns, 25 January 1759 - 21 July 1796

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Filmed in the virtual world of Second Life®, 23 January 2011, Isle of Skye, Winterfell Anodyne

'Address to a Haggis' by Robert Burns, read by Andy librivox.org

Burns Night Supper & Ceilidh, setting by hosts: Her Grace Eva Bellambi, Lady of Skye, Duchess of Caledon Loch Avie, & Lady Rowan Derryth, 22 January 2011

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For more information see:

redroseofcaledon.blogspot.com/2011/01/burns-night-supper-and-ceilidh-2011.html

redroseofcaledon.blogspot.com/2011/01/celebrating-burns-night-on-isle-of-skye.html

For more images see:

flickr.com/photos/28037271@N05/sets/72157625771498413/

flickr.com/photos/pj_trenton/sets/72157625766348449/

Flickr images on this page: Eva Bellambi and PJ Trenton

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Mab was unable to attend the Burns Night Supper on the evening it was held, when the haggis was first addressed and toasted. Fortunately it was still steaming when she addressed it again the next night!