LANGSYNE in Egypt beasts were gods,
Sae mony that the men turn'd beasts.
Vermin and brutes, but house or hald,
Had offerings, temples and their priests.
AE day a rattan, white as milk,
At a cat's shrine was sacrific'd,
And pompous on the altar bled:
The victim much God Badrans pleas'd.
THE neist day was God Ratan's tour
And, that he might propitious smile,
A cat is to his temple brought,
Priests singing round him a' the while
ODES, anthems, hymns, in verse and prose,
With instruments of solemn sound,
Praying the lang tail'd diety
To bless their faulds and furrow'd ground.
"O plague us not with cats," they cry'd,
"For this we cut ane's throat to thee." —
"A bonny god, indeed!" quoth Puss,
"Can ye believe sae great a lie?"
"WHAT am I then, that eat your god,
And yesterday to me ye bow'd?
This day I'm to that vermin offer'd.
God save us! ye're a senseless crowd."
THE close reflection gart them glowr,
And shook their thoughts haf out of joint;
But rather than be fash'd with thought
They gart the ax decide the point.
THUS we're Egyptians ane and a',
Our passions gods, that gar us swither,
Which, just as the occasion serves,
We sacrifice to ane anither.
Langsyne in Egypt beasts war gods,
Sae monie that the men turned beasts.
Vermin an bruits, but hoose or hald,
Haed offerins, temples an thair priests.
Ae day a ratton, white as milk,
At a cat's shrine wes secrifeesed,
An pompous on the altar bled:
The victim much God Badrans pleased.
THE neist day wes God Ratton's toor
An, that he micht propeetious smile,
A cat is til his temple brocht,
Priests singin roond him aw the while
Ods, anthems, himes, in verse an prose,
Wi instruments o solemn soond,
Prayin the lang-tailed diety
Ti bless thair faulds an furrae'd groond.
"O plague us no wi cats," thay cryd,
"For this we cut ane's throat tae thee."
"A bonnie god, indeed!" quoth Puss,
"Can ye believe sae gret a lee?
What am I than, that eat yer god,
An yesterday tae me ye bood?
This day Ah'm tae that vermin offered.
God sauf us! ye're a senseless crood."
THE close reflection gairt thaim glowr,
An shook thair thochts haf oot o jynt;
But raither than be fashed wi thocht
Thay gairt the aix decide the pynt.
THUS we're Egyptians ane an aw,
Oor passions gods, that gar us swither,
Whilk, juist as the occasion sers,
We secrifees til ane anither.