for-A-that-and-A-that

BackgroundinformationBurnssentthispoemtoGeorgeThompsonofEdinburghin1795.AlsoknownasIsThereHonestPoverty,itisfamousforitsexpressionofegalitarianideasofsociety,whichmaybeseenasanticipatingtheideasofliberalismthataroseinthe18thcentury,andthoseofsocialismwhicharoseinthe19thcentury.ThesongwassungthedayofthereopeningoftheScottishParliament.Whatideadoesthepoetexpressineachstanza?QuestionIsthereforhonestpovertyThathingshishead,ana’that?Thecowardslave,wepasshimby,Wedarebepoorfora’that!Fora’that,anda’that,Ourtoilsobscure,anda’that,Therankisbuttheguinea’sstamp,Theman’sthegowdfora’that.Hings:hangsan:andana’that:andallthatfora’that:inspiteofthatobscure:unimportantgowd:goldThepoetopenlyexpresseshisadmiringattitudetowardsthemanofintegrityandsetssomeonelikeacowardslaveatdefiance.Thoughhemaybepoorandholdstrivialpositioninthesociety,heis,inthepoet’smind,aspreciousasgold.IdeaofthefirststanzaWhatthoughonhamelyfarewedine,Wearhodden-gay,anda’that?Giefoolstheirsilks,andknavestheirwine,Aman’samanfora’that.Fora’that,anda’that.Theirtinselshow,anda’that,Thehonestman,thoe’ersaepoor,Iskingomenfora’that.hamelyfare:simpleandplainfoodhoddingrey：苏格兰方言，coarsegraywoolengie:givetho:thoughe’er:eversae:soThepoetlooksdownuponmaterialwealthlikesilkandwine,andconsidersthosewhopursuethemasfoolsandknaves.Inhisperspective,nomatterhowpooroneis,aslongasheishonest,heisrichspirituallyandthusthemostwell-offofall.IdeaofthesecondstanzaYeseeyoubirkieca’dalord,Whastruts,anstares,anda’that?Thoughhundredsworshipathisword,He’sbutacooffora’that.Fora’that,anda’that,Hisriband,star,anda’that,Themanofindependentmind,Helooksandlaughsata’that.birkie:苏格兰方言，=acoolyoungguy,abriskyoungfellowca’d:也作caad，=calledwha:whocoof:foolribband:riband或ribbon的异体，=blueribandThepoetcomparesamanofstatuswithoneofindependentmind.Althoughtheformerhasmanypeopleathisdisposal,thepoetholdshimincontempt,andconsidershimasafool.Thelatterkeepsadetachedattitudetowardsfameanddisdainstheoneofstatus.IdeaofthethirdstanzaAprincecanmakabeltedknight,Amarquis,duke,anda’that!Butanhonestman’saboonhismight—Guidfaith,hemaunafa’that!Fora’that,anda’that,Theirdignities,anda’that,Thepitho’senseanprideo’worth.Arehigherrankthana’that.mak:makeaboon:aboveguid:goodmauna:mustn’tfa’:fall,claimo’:ofThepoetadmiresthehonestmanwhoisneversubjectedtopower.Hethinksthatthequalitiesthehonestmanpossesseslikeprofoundsenseanddignityarefarmorevaluablethanrank.IdeaofthefourthstanzaThenletuspraythatcomeitmay,Ascomeitwillfora’that,Thatsenseandwortho’era’theearth,Shallbearthegreeana’that.Fora’that,anda’that,It’scomingyetfora’that,Thatmantoman,theworldo’er,Shallbrothersbefora’that.o’er:overa’:allgree:苏格兰方言，theprize(degree)，bearthegree=takethefirstplaceThepoetwishesthatsomedaypeoplewillliveinanegalitarianworldandgetalongwitheachotherlikebrothers.IdeaofthefifthstanzaThepoemrightlyshowsapoorman’sdefiance,contemptandrebelliousnessforwhatappearstobeworthinessintheundeservedlyrichandpowerfulpeopleaswellasBurns’strongbeliefinthebrotherhoodofmanandtherightsoftheordinarypeople.