Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Tim'rous Beasties


Our next exhibition is inspired by the great poem by Robert Burns:
 

Now it's not short, but it's a piece of perfection about the shattered dream, the grief and pain instead of the promised plan.  It is said that Burns penned it after disturbing a nest of mice, comparing the plight of the mouse to the plight of man.



To A Mouse, On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough (1785)



Wee, sleekit, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,
Wi' murd'ring pattle!
I'm truly sorry Man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle,
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!
I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen-icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request:
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!
Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an' wast,
An' weary Winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.
That wee-bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald.
To thole the Winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!
But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear
 
 
 
 
Our best artists have been inspired, and here are just a few examples of what will be on show:
 




Paul Barnes

 
 
 
 
Stanley Bird





Joe Hargan PAI




 
June Carey RSW

 
 
 

Henry Fraser
 
 
 

Joyce Gunn Cairns SSA VAS

 
 
Kevin Low
 
 
 
 
Christine Woodside RSW
 
 
 
 
Barbara Franc
 
 
 
Our tim'rous beasties can't wait for this exhibition to open on 20 April!
 
 
Thanks for reading!
 
 
Natalie


 

 








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