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| OF a’ the festivals we hear, | |
| Frae Handsel-Monday till New Year, | |
| There’s few in Scotland held mair dear | |
| For mirth, I ween, | |
| Or yet can boast o’ better cheer, | 5 |
| Than Hallowe’en. | |
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| Langsyne indeed, as now in climes | |
| Where priests for siller pardon crimes, | |
| The kintry ’round in Popish rhymes | |
| Did pray and graen; | 10 |
| But customs vary wi’ the times | |
| At Hallowe’en. | |
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| Ranged round a bleezing ingleside, | |
| Where nowther cauld nor hunger bide, | |
| The farmer’s house, wi’ secret pride, | 15 |
| Will a’ convene; | |
| For that day’s wark is thrawn aside | |
| At Hallowe’en. | |
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| Placed at their head the gudewife sits, | |
| And deals round apples, pears, and nits; | 20 |
| Syne tells her guests, how, at sic bits | |
| Where she has been, | |
| Bogle’s ha’e gart folk tyne their wits | |
| At Hallowe’en. | |
| |
| Grieved, she recounts how, by mischance, | 25 |
| Puir pussy’s forced a’ night to prance | |
| Wi’ fairies, wha in thousands dance | |
| Upon the green, | |
| Or sail wi’ witches over to France | |
| At Hallowe’en. | 30 |
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| Syne, issued frae the gardy-chair, | |
| For that’s the seat of empire there, | |
| To co’er the table wi’ what’s rare, | |
| Commands are gi’en; | |
| That a’ fu’ daintily may fare | 35 |
| At Hallowe’en. | |
| |
| And when they’ve toomed ilk heapit plate, | |
| And a’ things are laid out o’ gate, | |
| To ken their matrimonial mate, | |
| The youngsters keen | 40 |
| Search a’ the dark decrees o’ fate | |
| At Hallowe’en. | |
| |
| A’ things prepared in order due, | |
| Gosh guide’s! what fearfu’ pranks ensue! | |
| Some i’ the kiln-pat thraw a clew, | 45 |
| At whilk, bedene, | |
| Their sweethearts by the far end pu’ | |
| At Hallowe’en. | |
| |
| Ithers, wi’ some uncanny gift, | |
| In an auld barn a riddle lift, | 50 |
| Where, thrice pretending corn to sift, | |
| Wi’ charms between, | |
| Their joe appears, as white as drift, | |
| At Hallowe’en. | |
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| But ’twere a langsome tale to tell | 55 |
| The gates o’ ilka charm and spell. | |
| Ance, gaen to saw hampseed himsel, | |
| Puir Jock Maclean, | |
| Plump in a filthy peat-pot fell | |
| At Hallowe’en. | 60 |
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| Half filled wi’ fear, and droukit weel, | |
| He frae the mire dught hardly speel; | |
| But frae that time the silly chiel | |
| Did never grien | |
| To cast his cantrips wi’ the Deil | 65 |
| At Hallowe’en. | |
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| O Scotland! famed for scenes like this, | |
| That thy sons walk where wisdom is, | |
| Till death in everlasting bliss | |
| Shall steek their e’en, | 70 |
| Will ever be the constant wish | |
| of | |
| Jockie Mein. | |
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