To Charles Baxter

On the Death of Their Common Friend, Mr. John Adam, Clerk of Court.

OUR Johnie’s deid. The mair’s the pity!

He’s deid, an’ deid o’ Aqua-vitae.

O Embro’, you’re a shrunken city,

Noo Johnie’s deid!

Tak hands, an’ sing a burial ditty

Ower Johnie’s heid.

To see him was baith drink an’ meat,

Gaun linkin’ glegly up the street.

He but to rin or tak a seat,

The wee bit body!

Bein’ aye unsicken on his feet

Wi’ whusky toddy.

To be aye tosh was Johnie’s whim¹,

There’s nane was better teut than him,

Though whiles his gravit-knot wad clim’

Ahint his ear,

An’ whiles he’d buttons oot or in

The less ae mair.

His hair a’ lang about his bree,

His tap-lip lang by inches three —

A slockened sort ‘mon,’ to pree

A’ sensuality —

A droutly glint was in his e’e

An’ personality.

An’ day an’ nicht, frae daw to daw,

Dink an’ perjink an’ doucely braw,

Wi’ a kind o’ Gospel ower a’,

May or October,

Like Peden, followin’ the Law

An’ no that sober.

Whusky an’ he were pack thegether.

Whate’er the hour, whate’er the weather,

John kept himsel’ wi’ mistened leather

An’ kindled² spunk³.

Wi’ him, there was nae askin’ whether —

John was aye drunk.

The auncient heroes gash⁴ an’ bauld

In the uncanny days of auld⁵,

The task ance fo(u)nd to which th’were called,

Stack stenchly to it.

His life sic noble lives recalled,

Little’s he knew it.

Single an’ straucht, he went his way.

He kept the faith an’ played the play.

Whusky an’ he were man an’ may

Whate’er betided.

Bonny in life — in death — this twae

Were no’ divided.

An’ wow! but John was unco sport.

Whiles he wad smile about the Court

Malvolio-like — whiles snore an’ snort

Was heard afar.

The idle winter lads’ resort

Was aye John’s bar.

What’s merely humorous or bonny

The Worl’ regairds wi’ cauld astony.

Drunk men tak’ aye mair place than ony;

An’ sae, ye see,

The gate was aye ower thrang for Johnie —

Or you an’ me.

John micht hae jingled⁶ cap an’ bells,

Been a braw fule in silks an’ pells,

In ane o’ the auld worl’s canty hells

Paris or Sodom.

I wadnae had him naething else

But Johnie Adam.

He suffered — as have a’ that wan⁷

Eternal memory frae man,

Since e’er the weary worl’ began —

Mister or Madam,

Keats or Scots Burns, the Spanish Don

Or Johnie Adam.

We leuch, an’ Johnie deid. An’ fegs!

Hoo he had keept his stoiterin’ legs

Sae lang’s he did’s a fact that begs

An explanation.

He stachers fifty years — syne⁸ plegs

To’s destination.

1 whim   

n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想

参考例句：

• I bought the encyclopedia on a whim.我凭一时的兴致买了这本百科全书。
• He had a sudden whim to go sailing today.今天他突然想要去航海。

2 kindled   

（使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光

参考例句：

• We watched as the fire slowly kindled. 我们看着火慢慢地燃烧起来。
• The teacher's praise kindled a spark of hope inside her. 老师的赞扬激起了她内心的希望。

3 spunk   

n.勇气，胆量

参考例句：

• After his death,the soldier was cited for spunk.那位士兵死后因作战勇敢而受到表彰。
• I admired her independence and her spunk.我敬佩她的独立精神和勇气。

4 gash   

v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝

参考例句：

• The deep gash in his arm would take weeks to heal over.他胳膊上的割伤很深，需要几个星期的时间才能痊愈。
• After the collision,the body of the ship had a big gash.船被撞后，船身裂开了一个大口子。

5 auld   

adj.老的，旧的

参考例句：

• Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友，心中能不怀念？
• The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。

6 jingled   

喝醉的

参考例句：

• The bells jingled all the way. 一路上铃儿叮当响。
• Coins in his pocket jingled as he walked. 走路时，他衣袋里的钱币丁当作响。

7 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

8 syne   

adv.自彼时至此时，曾经

参考例句：

• The meeting ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.大会以唱《友谊地久天长》结束。
• We will take a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne.让我们为了过去的好时光干一杯友谊的酒。