Willie Brew'D a Peck o' Maut by Robert Burns
Willie brews a peck of malt, and Rob and Allen join him for a night of drinking and cheer. The three companions declare themselves exceptionally happy, insisting that they are not truly drunk but merely have a little drink in their eyes, and that they will continue tasting the barley brew through the cock’s crow and the coming daylight. They celebrate their friendship and remember the many merry nights they have already shared, hoping for many more. Although the moon shines high and seems to invite them home, they decide it can wait. Their revelry becomes a playful contest: whoever first leaves is branded a cuckold and coward, while whoever first falls beside his chair will be king among the three.
By Robert Burns · First published 1790 · Genre: Drinking song, Lyric poetry, Scottish vernacular poetry · 296 words
First lines
Willie is Nicol, Allan is Masterton the writing- master. The scene is between Moffat and the head of the Loch of the Lowes. Date, August-September, 1789. -Lang.
O Willie brew'd a peck o' maut, / And Rob and Allen cam to see; / Three blyther hearts, that lee-lang night, / Ye wadna found in Christendie.
Chorus. -We are na fou, we're nae that fou, / But just a drappie in our ee; / The cock may craw, the day may daw / And aye we'll taste the barley bree.
Here are we met, three merry boys, / Three merry boys I trow are we; / And mony a night we've merry been, / And mony mae we hope to be! / We are na fou, &c.
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Genres
- Drinking song — The poem centers on companions drinking malt liquor together, with a recurring chorus celebrating continued consumption of 'barley bree.'
- Lyric poetry — It is a short, musical first-person poem structured in stanzas and refrain, emphasizing voice, rhythm, mood, and communal feeling rather than narrative plot.
- Scottish vernacular poetry — Burns writes in Scots dialect, using forms such as 'maut,' 'blyther,' 'canna,' and 'gang awa,' and situates the poem in a distinctly Scottish social setting.
- Folk song — Its repetitive chorus, simple communal language, convivial subject matter, and singable stanzaic form align it closely with the folk-song tradition.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · drinking song · convivial lyric · male friendship · companionship · ale and malt · barley brew · nighttime revelry · drunkenness · comic denial of drunkenness · toasting · merry company
What this Textopian page supports
Willie Brew'D a Peck o' Maut is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1790 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1790 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Drinking song, Lyric poetry, Scottish vernacular poetry, Folk song, Comic poetry
- Length: 296 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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