A complete word and phrase concordance to the poems and songs of Robert Burns incorporating a glossary of Scotch words, with notes, index, and appendix of readings

Front matter

BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME PROM THE

SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND

THE GIFT OF

Preface

HAKSPEARE has his Concordance; lesser poets, such as Tennyson and Cowper, have theirs — why not Burns, the National Poet of Scotland? It may be said that Burns is not a voluminous writer; yet there are no fewer than six hundred distinct pieces in his "Poems and Songs;" and the difHculty of verifying a quotation, finding a phrase, a happy expression, or the exact words of a passage, is further augmented by the hopeless character of the Index to any "Edition" that may be possessed. But, apart from the question of utility, a genius hke Burns — wielding with unrivalled power what Ruskin characterises as "the sweetest, richest, subtlest, most musical of all the living dialects of Europe" — is a writer whose every word is deserving of study.

This Concordance claims to be not only a complete Verbal but also a complete Phrase Concordance* — the first instance in which this combination has been attempted. In view of the fact that no poet, except Shakspeare, is more quotable than Bums, the aim has been to give every quotation in sufiScient fulness to serve the purpose of the literary man, the public speaker, or the conversationalist. This fulness of the quotations "^ also makes it easy to determine from the context the various shades of meaning in which any word may be used. The Text adopted is that of the First Editions, edited by the Poet himself. Alterations and additions made by the Poet's own hand are embodied in the Work, and explained in an Appendix to which references are given. It has been too much the practice of Editors to improve upon Burns. They have, evidently, been unable to rid themselves of the idea that, although Burns was a genius, he was also a ploughman, and therefore deficient in critical perception. The "Titles" and "First Lines" of the Poems and Songs are given in as extended a form as the exigences of space would permit. They are those with which the Poet headed his pieces ; in a few instances only, such popular titles as " My Nannie's Awa," " Wandering Willie," " Tam Glen," etc., have been preferred. The Glossary will be useful to those Scotsmen whose acquaintance with their native tongue has become vague and shadowy, as well as to those who are ignorant of the Scottish language; and, as incorporated, will save some trouble.

This Concordance — done in intervals of other duties during several years past — has been a growing pleasure; that it may add another stone to the cairn which many successive hands have reared in love of Robert Burns is the humble ambition of

THE EDITOR.

* The Concordance contains over 11,400 words, and 52,000 quotations.

EXPLANATIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS.

A complete Index, arranged in Alphabetic order, of all the "Titles" and "First Lines" used in the Concordance, is appended to the Work. "Titles" and "First Lines" not used in the Concordance are also given along with the above ; where these occur the lines are slightly indented.

An English numeral after a "Title" or "First Line" indicates the verse, stanza, or division of the poem or song in which the quotation occurs.

Brackets [ ] enclose any explanatory word or words of the Editor. Words within parentheses ( ) are the Poet's own.

A quotation beginning without a capital letter means that it does not begin with the first word of the line, but shows where the quotation has been cut out. The pointing of the Poet has been preserved at the end of every quotation ; and the capitals which occur in the Poet's text retained.

+ indicates that the words which stand before it are a first line or part of a first line.

Add.

Address.

Lns Lines.

adj. .

adjective.

adv.

adverb.

pres. . . . present tense of the verb.

Ans.

Answer.

pret. .... preterite of the verb.

Did.