'To A Mouse' by Robert Burns (read by Sir William 'Billy' Connolly)

"John Steinbeck took the title of his 1937 novel "Of Mice and Men" from a line contained in the penultimate stanza. The 1997 novel "The Best Laid Plans" by Sidney Sheldon also draws its title from this line, and so does the novel of the same name by Canadian author Terry Fallis and the film series based on it." source: wiki

(Scroll down for the modern translation)

" To a Mouse",
On Turning her up in her Nest, with the Plough, November 1785.

by Robert Burns

Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi’ bickerin brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee
Wi’ murd’ring pattle!

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!

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!

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 winds ensuin,
Baith snell an’ keen!

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.

That wee-bit heap o’ leaves an’ stibble
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou’s turn’d out, for a’ thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the Winter’s sleety dribble,
An’ cranreuch cauld!

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!

Still, thou art blest, compar’d 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!

____________________________________
"To a Mouse",
on Turning Her Up in Her Nest With the Plough, November, 1785

Little, cunning, cowering, timorous beast,
Oh, what a panic is in your breast!
You need not start away so hasty
With bickering prattle!
I would be loath to run and chase you,
With murdering paddle!

I’m truly sorry man’s dominion
Has broken Nature’s social union,
And justifies that ill opinion
Which makes you startle
At me, your poor, earth-born companion
And fellow mortal!

I doubt not, sometimes, that you may steal;
What then? Poor beast, you must live!
An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves
Is a small request;
I 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 coarse green foliage!
And bleak December’s winds ensuing,
Both bitter and piercing!

You saw the fields laid bare and empty,
And weary winter coming fast,
And cozy here, beneath the blast,
You thought to dwell,
Till crash! The cruel plough passed
Out through your cell.

That small 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.

But Mouse, you are not alone,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes of mice and men
Go often askew,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain,
For promised joy!

Still you are blessed, compared with me!
The present only touches you:
But oh! I backward cast my eye,
On prospects dreary!
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear!

Source: The Poets' Corner

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆
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[ferretcatcher]

Beautifully read Billy. This reminded of dark Halloween nights when my Scottish Wife would read Tam o Shanter to the children by candlelight.

[lkojbuk]

Only Billy could get THAT mixture of emotion and mirth in his voice to read that poem.. fabulous😂..

[stefanstevanovic]

As an English student skilled only in the American accent this video was truly a blessing. I couldn't even begin to guess how to read most of the poem without this, thank you!

[ImCarolB]

If my mother were still alive, tears would be rolling down her cheeks. She told me of how she loved to visit her father's aunt and uncle. They still kept the Scottish accent and the only pictures on the walls were of Theodore Roosevelt and Robert Burns.

[martintimothy]

Well that certainly struck a chord with me .. Billy aka Sir William Connolly is a multi talented individual who just keeps on churning out good copy, cheers Billy keep on truckin' :)

[bhut]

My grandfather's family came from Ayrshire. In a drunken stuper he would often spout from memory " To a Wee Mousie". Thou his family moved to Canada and he adopted a Canadian accent, he sounded much like this wonderful rendition. He served in both WW1 and WW2. Thankyou.

[pauldockree]

Best regards Sir Billy Connolly and friends and family - and kind thoughts on health issues.

[hezigler]

The whole poem here is so much more beautiful than the one line from it that has become a sort of meme in modern English.

[Telssa]

He couldn't have got any closer to how I'd always imagined Burns would have spoken it.

[ampamp]

I quite enjoyed the unusual tempo, and the familiar comforting empathy and insight of the poem. The pace was unusual, and it needs something new, because both the poem and the voice are so well known. I found that quite refreshing as its usually slowed down to a dirge to be understandable to the modern ear. But most Scots know it well enough that a more natural tempo can be enjoyed, and you can listen two or three times to get some more. Well done Billy.

[autorotator]

i wept when i heard this. so much compassion for men and mouse, and our individual special sorrows. the mouse that his home would be naturally destroyed and that the man would be destroyed by memory and fears for the future.

[dianacasey]

That was beautiful thank you 👏 Billy it took me back to my childhood

[BampotTheScot__]

This is the same poem that inspired the book “Of Mice And Men” bloody love that book

[jannahilbrink]

Up till now I had only read this and it was so good to have it read out aloud by the wonderful Billy Connolly. He made the ending sound really sad because the man who apologises to the mouse for the destruction he has wrought has a miserable existence.

[unseelie]

It's a privilege to share a birthday with Scotland's national poet.

[sandrabotwright]

Weel done Billy aon. Gaun yersel. First time I have heard you reciting Burns. I was born in Irvine and think Burns was the greatest scot that even lived and you are the greatest living scot; I have followed your career every step of the way. You now have another string to your bow. Keep it going. You can beat this parkinson thing. My partner's mother had it. You have already prove the professionals wrong by living a long life. Go man go. Love to Pam and the kids. Wish I could meet you my son.

[ianmorris]

I don't really understand all of it, but it makes me just want to pick up Wind In The Willows, and start reading. Happy.

[hachimanjiro]

I had the great fortune to meet Billy in 1989 at a birthday party for Danny Kyle in the Buckshead in strathaven along with many dear friends some lost years past including one particularly dear, Margaret Forrest, many fond memories of that evening....

[joycecampbell]

I didn't know till now Billy had been knighted! I remember him on American TV some years back... Good job on the poem ! ❤

[glennbaker]

Remarkable close attention to the meanest detail of lifes turmoil. Wonderful!