To a Mouse
To a Mouse, subtitled On Turning her up in her Nest, with the Plough, November 1785, is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1785 while he was plowing a field on his family farm, during which he accidentally destroyed a mouse's winter nest.[1] The poem, first published in 1786 in Burns's debut collection Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect—known as the Kilmarnock volume—consists of eight six-line stanzas in the Burns stanza form (rhyme scheme AAABAB), where the speaker directly addresses the frightened mouse with empathy, apologizing for the disruption and pondering the shared misfortunes of all creatures.[2][3] Through vivid imagery and dialect, it captures a moment of rural life in 18th-century Scotland, blending humor, pathos, and philosophical reflection.[4] Robert Burns (1759–1796), born in Alloway, Ayrshire, to tenant farmers William Burnes and Agnes Broun, is widely regarded as Scotland's national poet, or the Bard, for his works that celebrate Scottish culture, language, and the common people.[5] Largely self-educated, Burns drew inspiration from his agrarian upbringing and the Enlightenment ideals of equality and sympathy, themes that permeate To a Mouse.[5] The poem exemplifies his mastery of the Scots vernacular, which he used to elevate everyday experiences into universal truths, contributing to his enduring legacy as a poet who bridged folk tradition and literary sophistication.[6] At its core, To a Mouse explores themes of compassion, vulnerability, and the unpredictability of fate, as the speaker equates the mouse's ruined plans with human aspirations that often "gang aft agley" (go awry).[7] The famous lines "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men / Gang aft agley" underscore a democratic view of suffering, where even the most meticulous intentions are subject to unforeseen calamity, fostering a sense of solidarity across species.[7] This empathetic address to the "tim'rous beastie" highlights Burns's ethical concern for the powerless, influencing later literature such as John Steinbeck's 1937 novella Of Mice and Men, whose title directly alludes to the poem's meditation on thwarted dreams.[8]Background and Composition
Authorship
Robert Burns (1759–1796), Scotland's national poet, authored "To a Mouse" while working as a tenant farmer on Mossgiel Farm near Mauchline, Ayrshire. Born into a farming family in Alloway, Burns followed his father William into agriculture, leasing small plots amid the economic challenges of 18th-century Scottish tenancy. He wrote primarily in the Scots dialect, drawing from oral traditions and local speech to capture rural life authentically. By 1785, Burns had begun compiling his verses in a commonplace book, marking the start of his serious poetic output that would soon gain wider recognition.[5] The poem's inspiration stems from a specific incident in November 1785, when Burns, plowing fields at Mossgiel with his brother Gilbert and a farmhand, accidentally overturned a mouse's winter nest. This event, recounted as legendary but corroborated by Gilbert Burns, prompted Burns to compose the verses that same day, reflecting on shared vulnerability between human and animal. Mossgiel, leased by the brothers in late 1783 or early 1784 following their father's death, represented a fresh start but quickly became a site of hardship; the 118-acre farm yielded poor returns due to inadequate capital and rocky soil, exacerbating the family's financial strains.[9][10][11] At the time, Burns shouldered significant family responsibilities amid personal turmoil. His father's death in February 1784 left him as head of the household, supporting his mother Agnes, siblings, and a growing number of dependents. In May 1785, just months before the poem's creation, Burns fathered his first child, daughter Elizabeth "Bess," with the family’s farm servant Elizabeth Paton, adding emotional and social pressures to his already burdensome life. These circumstances intertwined with his emerging poetic voice, as Burns increasingly engaged with local intellectual and literary figures in Mauchline, laying the groundwork for his breakthrough collection published the following year.[5][12]Historical Context
The Scottish Agricultural Revolution, spanning approximately 1730 to 1830, transformed rural economies through innovations such as enclosure of common lands, which consolidated fragmented holdings into larger, more efficient farms managed by progressive landlords.[13] This process, accelerated in the Lowlands after the 1740s, displaced many small tenant farmers by prioritizing commercial agriculture over traditional subsistence practices, leading to increased rents and evictions for those unable to adapt.[14] Improved plowing techniques, notably the swing plough developed by James Small in the late 1770s, allowed for deeper soil tillage and better drainage, boosting crop yields but further marginalizing laborers reliant on outdated tools like wooden ploughs pulled by oxen.[15] These changes exacerbated economic pressures on small farmers like Robert Burns, who faced rising costs and competition from larger estates, contributing to widespread rural instability.[16] In Ayrshire during the 1780s, rural life for tenant farmers was marked by chronic poverty, as families like the Burns struggled with low-yield soils and short-term leases that offered little security against crop failures.[17] Harsh winters, such as those in the late 1780s characterized by prolonged cold and heavy snowfall, devastated livestock and unharvested crops, heightening famine risks and underscoring the shared vulnerability of humans and wildlife to environmental hardships.[18] Tenant farmers endured servitudes like unpaid labor for landlords, including ploughing and harvesting, which compounded their financial burdens and fostered a sense of precarious existence amid Scotland's fluctuating climate.[19] The Scottish Enlightenment, flourishing in the mid- to late 18th century, influenced Burns through its emphasis on humanism, rational inquiry, and empathy for the lower classes and natural world, promoting ideas of universal sympathy that resonated with his egalitarian views.[20] Thinkers like Adam Smith and David Hume, active in nearby Glasgow and Edinburgh, advanced concepts of moral sentiment and the interconnectedness of society and nature, which echoed in Burns' compassionate portrayal of marginalized lives and creatures.[21] This intellectual milieu encouraged Burns' sympathetic tone toward the vulnerable, bridging Enlightenment philosophy with the folk traditions of rural Scotland.[22]The Poem
Original Scots Text
The poem "To a Mouse" was first published in Robert Burns' Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Kilmarnock edition, 1786), which contains the authoritative holograph version of the text.[23] The full original text in Scots dialect is divided into eight stanzas of six lines each, as follows: Stanza 1Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, 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! Stanza 2
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! Stanza 3
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! Stanza 4
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! Stanza 5
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. Stanza 6
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! Stanza 7
But Mousie, thou art 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! Stanza 8
Still, thou art blest, compared 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! [4]
English Translation
A standardized line-by-line English translation, adapted to preserve the original's rhyme and rhythm where possible while rendering it accessible in modern prose-like form, is provided below. This translation draws from established renditions that clarify the Scots dialect without altering the structure.[24] Stanza 1Small, sleek, cowering, timorous little beast,
Oh, what a panic is in your little breast!
You need not start away so hasty,
With hurrying, scampering flight!
I would be loath to run and chase you
With murdering plow-staff! Stanza 2
I'm truly sorry that man's dominion
Has broken nature's social union,
And justifies that bad opinion
Which makes you startle
At me, your poor, earth-born companion
And fellow mortal! Stanza 3
I don't doubt at times but you may steal;
What then? Poor beast, you must live!
An occasional ear of corn in a shock
Is a small request;
I'll get a blessing with the rest,
And never miss it! Stanza 4
Your tiny house, too, now in ruin!
Its feeble walls the winds are scattering!
And nothing now to build a new one
Of coarse green turf!
And bleak December's winds coming,
Both bitter and piercing! Stanza 5
You saw the fields laid bare and empty,
And weary winter coming quickly,
And cozy here, beneath the cold wind,
You thought to dwell,
Till, crash! the cruel plow blade passed
Right through your home. Stanza 6
That small heap of leaves and stubble
Has cost you many a weary bite!
Now you are turned out, for all your trouble,
Without house or home,
To endure the winter's sleety dribble
And hoar-frost cold! Stanza 7
But, mouse, you are not alone
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes of mice and men
Often go awry,
And leave us nothing but grief and pain
For promised joy! Stanza 8
Still, you are blessed compared with me!
Only the present touches you;
But, alas! I backward cast my eye
On prospects dreary,
And forward, though I cannot see,
I guess and fear!