Steadfastness

Folk sillerless may ca' us,—
We ha'e unco little gear;
Our wealth is gatherin' gey an' slow,—
'Twill ne'er be great, I fear.
But though our lot be laigh eneuch,
An' though our life be wae,
We never yet ha'e fail'd a friend,
An' never fear'd a fae!

Although our parritch-cup be sma',
To him who needs it yet
We'll spare a sup, an' wi' the lave
A blessin' we will get.
We've fendit aye in days gane by—
We'll fend through monie mae—
An' never fail a trustin' friend,
An' never fear a fae!

Though some folk think that a' thing gude
In palaces doth dwell—
An' though the poor, to tempt an' vex,
Ha'e mair than I may tell;
There's ae thing yet—there's twa things yet—
To brag o' that we ha'e—
We never, never fail'd a friend,
An' never fear'd a fae!

Folk shou'dna mind the ragged coat,
Nor yet the horny han',—
'Tis by the heart his breast doth hap
That they should judge the man.
Ye ken there are in cottages,
Where poor folk plackless gae,
True hearts that never fail'd a friend,
An' never fear'd a fae?

Robert Nicoll