Epitaph for James Smith - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

"Epitaph for James Smith" is a satirical Scots

Scots language

Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...

epitaph

Epitaph

An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...

written by poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...

in 1785, and was included in his first publication, the Kilmarnock volume
Kilmarnock volume
The Kilmarnock volume, also known as Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, — printed and issued by John Wilson, Kilmarnock, on 31 July 1786, was the first edition of poet Robert Burns' work. It cost 3 s and 612 copies were printed. The volume was dedicated to Gavin Hamilton...

:

LAMENT him, Mauchline husbands a’,

He aften did assist ye;

For had ye staid hale weeks awa,

Your wives they ne’er had miss’d ye.

Ye Mauchline bairns, as on ye press,

To school in bands thegither,

O tread ye lightly on his grass,—

Perhaps he was your father!

See also