to a mouse

• bir robert burns şiiri... planların ters gitmesi durumunda kullanılan "best laid plans of mice and men/gang aft agley," (gang aft agley, often go awry, çoğunlukla ters gider, anlamındadır.) sözünün kaynağı, güzel bir şiirdir. (bu söz aynı zamanda steinbeck'in of mice and men kitabının adının kaynağıdır.) robert burns bu şiiri rivayete göre bir farenin kış için hazırladığı yuvasını bahçesini bellerken yanlışlıkla bozduktan sonra yazmıştır.
  
  wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
  o, what 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!
  
  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!
  
  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!
  
  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!
  
  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.
  
  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!
  
  but mousie, thou are 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!
  
  still, thou art blest, compar'd 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