A Grace.

    Lord, we thank and thee adore,
        For temp'ral gifts we little merit;
    At present we will ask no more,
        Let William Hyslop give the spirit.

Robert Burns

Robert Burns

Robert Burns, also known as Rabbie Burns, the Bard of Ayrshire, and various other names and epithets, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. Born on January 25, 1759, in Alloway, he is best known for works such as 'Auld Lang Syne,' 'Scots Wha Hae,' and 'A Red, Red Rose.' He passed away on July 21, 1796, in Dumfries.

Robert Burns

English

Suggested Poems

Explore a curated selection of verses that share themes, styles, and emotional resonance with the poem you've just read.

A Grace Before Meat.

    O thou in whom we live and move,
        Who mad'st the sea and shore,
    Thy goodness constantly we prove,
        And grateful would adore.
    And if it please thee, Power above,
        Still grant us with such store,
    The friend we trust, the fair we love,
        And we desire no more.

Robert Burns

A Grace Before Dinner.

    O thou, who kindly dost provide
        For every creature's want!
    We bless thee, God of Nature wide,
        For all thy goodness lent:
    And if it please thee, Heavenly Guide,
        May never worse be sent;
    But, whether granted or denied,
        Lord bless us with content!
                    Amen.

Robert Burns

Holy Willie's Prayer.

"And send the godly in a pet to pray."

Pope.


    O thou, wha in the heavens dost dwell,
    Wha, as it pleases best thysel',
    Sends ane to heaven, and ten to hell,
        A' for thy glory,
    And no for ony gude or ill
        They've done afore thee!

    I bless and praise thy matchless might,
    Whan thousands thou hast left in night,
    That I am here afore thy sight,
        For gifts and grace,
    A burnin' and a shinin' light
        To a' this place.

    What was I, or my generation,
    That I should get sic exaltation,
    I wha deserve sic just damnation,
        For broken laws,
    Five thousand years 'fore my creation,
        Thro' Adam's cause.

    When frae my mither's womb I fell,...

Robert Burns

The Selkirk Grace.

    Some hae meat and canna eat,
        And some wad eat that want it;
    But we hae meat and we can eat,
        And sae the Lord be thanket.

Robert Burns

Graces For Children.

What God gives, and what we take,
'Tis a gift for Christ, His sake:
Be the meal of beans and peas,
God be thanked for those and these:
Have we flesh, or have we fish,
All are fragments from His dish.
He His Church save, and the king;
And our peace here, like a spring,
Make it ever flourishing.

Robert Herrick

Hymn To The Grace

When I love, as some have told
Love I shall, when I am old,
O ye Graces!make me fit
For the welcoming of it!
Clean my rooms, as temples be,
To entertain that deity;
Give me words wherewith to woo,
Suppling and successful too;
Winning postures; and withal,
Manners each way musical;
Sweetness to allay my sour
And unsmooth behaviour:
For I know you have the skill
Vines to prune, though not to kill;
And of any wood ye see,
You can make a Mercury.

Robert Herrick