Scottish Poetry Selection
- The Problem
The Problem
The best o' being a bachelor
Is the fash that ye dinna gie;
For naebody frets about how ye get on,
Or greets very sair when ye dee.
The best o'being a marriet man -
There's ane ye hae aye at your ca'
To do a bit darnin' and look for your specs,
And thinks ye nae bother ava!The warst o' being'a bachelor -
Ye're just like a cow among corn;
It's fine-but ye ken that ye sudna be there;
It wisna for that ye were born.
The warst o' bein' a marriet man
Is just that ye aye hae a wife,
To girn about pickles o'snuff on your coat
For the term o' your natural life.There's this about bein'a bachelor-
It maun be the best o' the twa;
For frae a' we hear tell o' the angels in heaven,
There's nane o' them marriet ava.
But then there's the chance, wi'a marriet man-
It's this mak's a body sae fain-
O' catching a bonnie wee angel down here,
And startin' a heaven o' your ain!I've coontit it up, I've coontit it down,
But there seems to be nae ither plan
Than just to keep bidin' a bachelor-
Or else, be a marriet man!Meaning of unusual words:
fash=trouble, inconvenience
gie=give
greets=cries, weeps
sair=sore
dee=die
ava=at all
nae bother awa=no bother at all
aye=always
girn=complain
pickles=small speck
maun=must
fain=loving, affectionate
bidin'=staying
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?