To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough

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To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With
The Plough

• By Robert Burns
• (25 January 1759 21 July 1796)
• Burns was called the national poet of Scotland.

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• Burnss Original Text
• 1) Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O,
  what a panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na
  start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad
  be laith to rin an' chase thee, Wi' murdering
  pattle.
• 2) I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken
  Nature's social union, An' justifies that ill
  opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy
  poor, earth born companion An' fellow mortal!

• Standard English Translation
• Small, sleek, cowering,
• timorous beast,
• O, what a panic is in your
• breast!You need not start away so hastilyWith
  hurrying scamper!I would be loath to run and
  chase you,With murdering plough-staff.
• I'm truly sorry man's dominionHas broken
  Nature's social union,And justifies that ill
  opinionWhich makes thee startleAt me, your
  poor, earth born companionAnd fellow mortal!

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• Burnss Original Text
• 3) I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve What
  then? poor beastie, thou maun live! A daimen
  icker in a
• thrave 'S a sma' request I'll get a blessin
  wi'
• the lave, An' never miss't.
• 4) Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It's silly
  wa's the win's are strewin! An' naething, now,
  to big a new ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak
  December's win's ensuin, Baith snell an' keen!

• Standard English Translation
• I doubt not, sometimes, but you may stealWhat
  then? Poor beast, you must live!An odd ear in
  twenty-four sheavesIs a small requestI will
  get a blessing with what is left,And never miss
  it.
• Your small house, too, in ruin!Its feeble walls
  the winds are scattering!And nothing now, to
  build a new one,Of course grass green!And bleak
  December's winds coming,Both bitter and keen!

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• Standard English Translation
• You saw the fields laid bare and wasted,And
  weary winter coming fast,And cozy here, beneath
  the blast,You thought to dwell,Till crash! the
  cruel plough pastOut through your cell.
• That small bit heap of leaves and stubble,Has
  cost you many a weary nibble!Now you are turned
  out, for all your trouble,Without house or
  holding,To endure the winter's sleety
  dribble,And hoar-frost cold.

• Burnss Original Text
• 5) Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste, An'
  weary winter comin fast, An' cozie here, beneath
  the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash!
  the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell.
• 6) That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has
  cost thee monie a weary nibble! Now thou's
  turned out, for a' thy trouble, But house or
  hald, To thole the winter's sleety dribble, An'
  cranreuch cauld.

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• Burnss Original Text
• 7) But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving
  foresight may be vain The best laid schemes o'
  mice an' men Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us
  nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy!
• 8) Still thou art blest, compared wi' me! The
  present only toucheth thee But och! I backward
  cast my e'e, On prospects drear! An' forward,
  tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear!

• Standard English Translation
• But Mouse, you are not alone,In proving
  foresight may be vainThe best laid schemes of
  mice and menGo often askew,And leave us nothing
  but grief and pain,For promised joy!
• Still you are blessed, compared with me!The
  present only touches youBut oh! I backward cast
  my eye,On prospects dreary!And forward, though
  I cannot see,I guess and fear!

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Short Summary of the Poem

• The narrator, a farmer, addresses a mouse living
  on his field eating grain and gathering crop
  for the winter.
• While plowing his field the farmer
  unintentionally turns up the nest of the mouse.
• He regrets having destroyed its home.
• He takes pity on the mouse because he feels that
  man and animal have got much in common whatever
  their plans are, they may not turn out to be
  successful.
• crop amount of grain, fruit, etc. that is
  grown in one season

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Of Mice and Men(7th stanza)

• But Mouse, you are not alone,In proving
  foresight may be vainThe best laid schemes of
  mice and mengo often askew,And leave us nothing
  but grief and pain,For promised joy!

• John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men takes
  its title from this poem, especially from this
  stanza and these famous lines.
• ? It does not matter who you are - whether you
  are an important nobleman or as unimportant as a
  little mouse - most times your plans will not
  work out.

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A Poem to a MouseWHY ???

• Burns - as well as Steinbeck - see parallels
  between a mouse and man
• - they live in the same world
• - they are dependent on each other
• - both are mortal
• - as individuals they are irrelevant
• - but together they play an important role in
  the world
• - both have visions which often fail

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• Resource http//www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/tran
  slations/554.htm