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Lyric Poem · Nature

Verses on Captain Grose

by Robert Burns

KEN ye aught o’ Captain Grose?—Igo, and ago,

If he’s amang his friends or foes?—Iram, coram, dago.

Is he to Abra’m’s bosom gane?—Igo, and ago,

Or haudin Sarah by the wame?—Iram, coram dago.

Is he south or is he north?—Igo, and ago,

Or drowned in the river Forth?—Iram, coram dago.

Is he slain by Hielan’ bodies?—Igo, and ago,

And eaten like a wether haggis?—Iram, coram, dago.

Where’er he be, the Lord be near him!—Igo, and ago,

As for the deil, he daur na steer him.—Iram, coram, dago.

But please transmit th’ enclosed letter,—Igo, and ago,

Which will oblige your humble debtor.—Iram, coram, dago.

So may ye hae auld stanes in store,—Igo, and ago,

The very stanes that Adam bore.—Iram, coram, dago,

So may ye get in glad possession,—Igo, and ago,

The coins o’ Satan’s coronation!—Iram coram dago.

Full-text availability follows the United States display decision recorded below; status can differ elsewhere.

Quick facts

Poem
Verses on Captain Grose
Poet
Robert Burns
Length
16 lines
Form
Lyric Poem
Themes
Nature, Friendship

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape
16 lines · 8 couplets
Line length
Lines run 12-15 syllables (median 14), consistent with heptameter. No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.

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Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record
Robert Burns1759–1796
Source record
PoetryDBVerses on Captain Grose by robert-burns, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision
Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record
Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint
SHA-256 08e34e9dbfe11b34
Editorial handling
Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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