Quoi! Pauvre honnête, baisser la tête? Quoi! rougir de la sorte? Que l’âme basse s’éloigne et passe Nous――soyons gueux! n’importe travail obscur―― N’importe! Quand l’or est pur, n’importe! Qu’il ne soit point marqué au coin D’un noble rang――qu’importe? Quoiqu’on dût faire bien maigre chère Et vêtir pauvre vêtement; Aux sots leur soie, leur vin, leur joie; Ca fait il L’HOMME? eh, nullement Luxe et grandeur, qu’importe! Train et splendeur, qu’importe! Cœurs vils et creux, un noble gueux Vaut toute la cohorte! Voyez ce fat, un vain éclat L’entoure, et on l’encense, Mais après tout ce n’est qu’un fou,―― Un sot, quoiqu’il en pense; Terre et maison,――qu’il pense―― Titre et blazon,――qu’il pense―― Or et ducats, Non! ne font pas La vraie indépendence! Un roi peut faire Duc, dignitaire, Comte et marquis, journellement; Mais ce qu’on nomme un HONNETE HOMME, Le peut-il faire? eh, nullement! Tristes faveurs! Réellement; Pauvres honneurs! Réelement; Le fier maintien des gens de bien Leur manque essentiellement. Or faisons vœu, qu’à tous, sous peu, Arrive un jour de jugement;―― Amis, ce jour aura son tour, J’en prends, j’en prends, l’engagement. Espoir et encouragement, Aux pauvres gens soulagement; ’Lors sur la terre vivrons en frères, Et librement, et sagement! ―――― “FOR A’ THAT AND A’ THAT” “A man’s a man,” says Robert Burns, “For a’ that and a’ that,” But though the song be clear and strong, It lacks a note for a’ that. The lout who’d shirk his daily work, Yet claim his wage and a’ that, Or beg when he can earn his bread, Is not a man for a’ that. If all who dine on homely fare Were true and brave, and a’ that; And none whose garb is “hodden grey” Was fool and knave and a’ that; The vice and crime that shame our time, Would fade and fall and a’ that; And ploughmen be as good as kings, And churls as earls, for a’ that. You see yon brawny, blustering sot, Who swaggers, swears, and a’ that; And thinks, because his strong right arm Might fell an ox, and a’ that. That he’s as noble, man for man, As duke or lord and a’ that, He’s but a brute, beyond dispute, And _not_ a man for a’ that. A man may own a large estate, Have palace, park, and a’ that; And not for birth, but honest worth, Be thrice a man for a’ that; And Donald herding on the muir, Who beats his wife and a’ that, Be nothing but a rascal boor, Nor half a man for a’ that.