| A Man's a Man for A' That | |
| Cover: | A Man's a Man for a' that, Burns.jpg |
| Type: | song |
"A Man's a Man for A' That", also known as "Is There for Honest Poverty" or "For A' That and A' That", is a 1795[1] song by Robert Burns, written in Scots and English, famous for its expression of egalitarian ideas of society, which may be seen as expressing the ideas of republicanism that arose in the 18th century.
The song made its first appearance in a letter Burns wrote to George Thomson in January 1795. It was subsequently published anonymously in the August edition of the Glasgow Magazine, a radical monthly.[2] Thomson later included it in the fourth volume of his Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs, giving it the title "The Honest Man the Best of Men".[3]
Scottish folksinger Sheena Wellington sang the song at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in May 1999.[4] [5] Midge Ure did the same in July 2016.[6] The song was also sung at the funeral of Donald Dewar, the inaugural First Minister of Scotland., a German translation of the song written by Ferdinand Freiligrath, was widely used during the Revolutions of 1848.
The words "pride o' worth" appear on the crest of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
Is there, for honest poverty,
That hangs his head, and a' that?
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, and a' that,
Our toils obscure and a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gowd for a' that.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, and a' that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine,
A man's a man for a' that:
For a' that, and a' that,
Their tinsel shew, and a' that,
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,
Wha struts and stares and a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that, and a' that,
His ribband, star, and a' that,
The man o' independent mind,
He looks and laughs at a' that.
A prince can make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and a' that;
But an honest man's aboon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa' that!
For a' that, and a' that,
Their dignities and a' that;
The pith o' sense, and pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will, for a' that,
That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth,
May bear the gree, and a' that!
For a' that, and a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That man to man, the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.[3]