A Man's a Man for A' That

This song was first included in a 1795 letter from Burns to Geoge Thomson. It was published anonymously in the Glasgow Magazine, a radical monthly, later that year. It has been considered an egalitarian anthem since that time. Sheena Wellington sang it at the opening session of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

Is there, for honest poverty,
That hangs his head & a' that?
The coward slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that & a' that,
Our toils obscure & a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp, 
The man's the gowd for a' that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey & a' that; 
Gie fools their silks & knaves their wine,
A man's a man for a' that:
For a' that & a' that,
Their tinsel shew & a' that,
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.

Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord,
Wha struts and stares & a' that;
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a coof for a' that:
For a' that & a' that,
His ribband, star & a' that,
The man o' independent mind,
He looks & laughs at a' that.

A prince can make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke & a' that;
But an honest man's aboon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa' that!
For a' that & a' that,
Their dignities & a' that;
The pith o' sense & pride o' worth,
Are higher rank than a' that.

Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will, for a' that,
That sense & worth, o'er a' the earth,
May bear the gree & a' that!
For a' that & a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That man to man, the warld o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that.

Glossary:

• a' = all
• guinea = formerly a British gold coin
• hoddin or hodden = a coarse undyed wool cloth worn by Scottish peasantry
• gie = give
• sae = so
• birkie = a conceited young man
• coof = a fool, a ninny
• aboon his might = beyond his power
• he maunna fa' that = he cannot lay claim to that
• bear the gree = have the victory