A guid New-Year I wish thee, Maggie! Hae, there's a ripp to thy auld baggie: [handful, belly] Tho' thou's howe-backit now, an' knaggie, [hollow-backed, knobby] I've seen the day, Thou could hae gane like ony staggie [colt] Out-owre the lay. [Across, lea]
Tho' now thou's dowie, stiff, an' crazy, [drooping] An' thy auld hide's as white's a daisie, I've seen thee dappled, sleek, an' glaizie, [glossy] A bonnie gray: He should been tight that daur't to raize thee, [excite] Ance in a day. [Once]
Thou ance was i' the foremost rank, A filly buirdly, steeve, an' swank, [stately, compact, limber] An' set weel down a shapely shank, As e'er tread yird; [earth] An' could hae flown out-owre a stank, [pool] Like ony bird.
It's now some nine-an-twenty year, Sin' thou was my guid-father's meere; He gied me thee, o' tocher dear, [as dowry] An' fifty mark; Tho' it was sma', 'twas weel-won gear, [wealth] An' thou was stark. [strong]
When first I gaed to woo my Jenny, Ye then was trottin' wi' your minnie: [mother] Tho' ye was trickie, slee, an' funnie, [sly] Ye ne'er was donsie; [unmanageable] But hamely, tawie, quiet, an' cannie, [tractable, good tempered] An' unco sonsie. [very attractive]
That day ye pranc'd wi' muckle pride [much] When ye bure hame my bonnie bride; [bore] An' sweet an' gracefu' she did ride, Wi' maiden air! Kyle-Stewart I could braggèd wide [have challenged] For sic a pair.
Tho' now ye dow but hoyte and hobble, [can only halt] An' wintle like a saumont-coble, [stagger, salmon-boat] That day ye was a jinker noble [goer] For heels an' win'! [wind] An' ran them till they a' did wobble Far, far behin'.
When thou an' I were young and skeigh, [skittish] An' stable-meals at fairs were driegh, [dull] How thou wad prance, an' snore, an' skriegh [snort, neigh] An' tak the road! Town's-bodies ran, and stood abeigh, [aloof] An' ca't thee mad.
When thou was corn't, an' I was mellow, [full of corn] We took the road aye like a swallow: At brooses thou had ne'er a fellow [wedding-races] For pith an' speed; But ev'ry tail thou pay't them hollow, Where'er thou gaed. [went]
The sma', drooped-rumpled hunter cattle, [short-rumped] Might aiblins waur'd thee for a brattle; [perhaps have beat, spurt] But sax Scotch miles, thou tried their mettle, An' gart them whaizle; [wheeze] Nae whip nor spur, but just a wattle O' saugh or hazel. [willow]