A Man's A Man For Aw That

When Rabbie Burns wrote his poetry, the radio hadn’t been invented yet, so it’s unlikely most folk had ever heard English spoken by an Englishman. Presumably everybody used Scots pronunciations for English words, blissfully unaware that they were pronunced differently south of the border.

Of course, many words are spelt in a way that makes the difference obvious, but I reckon the Bard’s poems would have been read by himself with many more Scots features than most people do today.

If he had written his poems today, I believe he would have used many more Scots spellings to prevent the readers from substituting English pronunciations.

To illustrate this, I’ve tried to respell one of his most famous songs, A Man’s A Man For A’ That, and I’ve also added the West Central Scots pronuncation in IPA:

1. Is there for honest Poverty

   Is thare for honest povertie

   ɪz ðer fər ˈhonəst ˈpovərtɪ

   That hings his head, an’ a’ that;

   That hings his heid, and aw that;

   ðat hɪŋz hɪz hid ən ɑ ðat

   The coward slave — we pass him by,

   The couart sclave — we pass him by,

   ðə ˈkuərt sklev wi pas hɪm bae

   We dare be poor for a’ that!

   We daur be puir for aw that!

   wi dɑr bi per fər ɑ ðat

   For a’ that, an’ a’ that.

   For aw that, and aw that.

   fər ɑ ðat ən ɑ ðat

   Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,

   Our tyles obscure and aw that,

   ur təilz əbˈskjur ən ɑ ðat

   The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,

   The rank is but the guinie’s stamp,

   ðə raŋk ɪz bʌt ðə ˈɡinɪz stamp

   The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.

   The man’s the gowd for aw that.

   ðə manz ðə ɡʌud fər ɑ ðat

2. What though on hamely fare we dine,

   Whit tho on hamelie fare we dine,

   ʍɪt ðo on ˈhemli fer wi dəin

   Wear hoddin grey, an’ a’ that;

   Weir hoddin gray, and aw that;

   wir hodən ɡre ən ɑ ðat

   Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;

   Gie fuils thair silks, and knaves thair wine;

   gi fɪlz ðer sɪlks an nevz ðer wəin

   A Man’s a Man for a’ that:

   A man’s a man for aw that:

   ə manz ə man fər ɑ ðat

   For a’ that, and a’ that,

   For aw that, and aw that,

   fər ɑ ðat ən ɑ ðat

   Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that;

   Thair tinsel shaw, and aw that;

   ðer ˈtɪnsəl ʃɑ an ɑ ðat

   The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,

   The honest man, tho e’er sae puir,

   ðə ˈhonəst man ðo er se per

   Is king o’ men for a’ that.

   Is king o men for aw that.

   ɪz kɪŋ o mɛn fər ɑ ðat

3. Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,

   Ye see yon birkie, cawed a lord,*

   ji si jon ˈbɪrkɪ kɑd ə lɔrd

   Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;

   Wha struts, and stares, and aw that;

   ʍɑ strʌts ən sterz ən ɑ ðat

   Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,

   Tho hunders wurships at his word,*

   ðo ˈhʌnərz ˈwʌrʃɪps at hɪz wʌrd

   He’s but a coof for a’ that:

   He’s but a cuif for aw that:

   hiz bʌt ə kɪf fər ɑ ðat

   For a’ that, an’ a’ that,

   For aw that, and aw that,

   fər ɑ ðat ən ɑ ðat

   His ribband, star, an’ a’ that:

   His ribband, star, and aw that:

   hɪz ˈrɪbən star ən ɑ ðat

   The man o’ independent mind

   The man o independent mynd

   ðə man o ɪndəˈpɛndənt məin

   He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.

   He leuks and lauchs at aw that.

   hi lʌks ən lɑxs at ɑ ðat

4. A prince can mak a belted knight,

   A prince can mak a beltit knicht,

   ə prɪns kan mak ə ˈbɛltɪt nɪçt

   A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;

   A marques, deuk, and aw that;

   ə ˈmarkwɪs djuk ən ɑ ðat

   But an honest man’s abon his might,

   But an honest man’s abuin his micht,

   bʌt ə ˈhonəst manz əˈbɪn hɪz mɪxt

   Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!

   Guid faith, he maunna faw that!

   gɪd feð hi ˈmɑne fɑ ðat

   For a’ that, an’ a’ that,

   For a’ that, an’ a’ that,

   fər ɑ ðat ən ɑ ðat

   Their dignities an’ a’ that;

   Thair dignities and aw that;

   ðer ˈdɪɡnɪtɪz ən ɑ ðat

   The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,

   The pith o sense, and pride o wirth,

   ðə pɪθ o sɛns ən prəid o wɪrθ

   Are higher rank than a’ that.

   Are heicher rank than aw that.

   ar ˈhiçər raŋk ðən ɑ ðat

5. Then let us pray that come it may,

   Than lat us pray that come it mey,

   ðən lat ʌs pre ðat kʌm ɪt məi

   (As come it will for a’ that,)

   (As come it will for a’ that,)

   əz kʌm ɪt wɪl fər ɑ ðat

   That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,

   That sense and wirth, ower aw the earth,**

   ðat sɛns ən wɪrθ ʌur ɑ ðə (j)ɪrθ

   Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.

   Sall beir the grie, and aw that.

   sal bir ðə ɡri ən ɑ ðat

   For a’ that, an’ a’ that,

   For a’ that, an’ a’ that,

   fər ɑ ðat ən ɑ ðat

   It’s coming yet for a’ that,

   It’s comin yet for aw that,

   ɪts ˈkʌmən jɛt fər ɑ ðat

   That Man to Man, the world o’er,

   That man tae man, the warld ower,

   ðat man te man ðə ˈwarəld ʌur

   Shall brothers be for a’ that.

   Sall brithers be for aw that.

   sal ˈbrɪðərz bi fər ɑ ðat

I’m not entirely sure how deuk should be pronounced, so I have given the English pronunciation above.

* Update (5 July): I had originally changed lord and word to laird /lerd/ and wurd /wʌrd/, but several people in the Scots Language Centre’s Facebook group pointed out that Burns had probably intended these words to rhyme, even though they don’t rhyme either in Scots or English.

** Update (22 February): I had originally changed earth to yird /jɪrd/, but further feedback from the Facebook group mentioned above suggested an intended rhyme with wirth.