Saying

[Mesmer]

Who said 'Oh to see us as others see us'? I'm not sure I have the quote correct but something like that. Any help appreciated.

[lankeela]

Rabbie Burns 'Oh what a gift the giftie gi us to see ourselves as others see us' (apologies to any Scots for incorrect spellings)

[lankeela]

Or more correctly

'O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us'.

[rescuer]

That was Robert Burns. ""O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us, to see oursels as others see us. It wad frae mony a blunder free us, and foolish notion."

[lankeela]

Talking of which I always thought 'the giftie' was some sort of reference to God i.e. the one who can give us things, but when I looked up the quote it sort of suggests that it is just a shortened version of 'the gift to give us' which doesn't really make any sense to me.

[Mesmer]

Thanks ABs. Can you give me the title of the poem so I can enjoy the context of this profound observation.?

[dilf]

the noo

[lankeela]

'To a Mouse' written November 1785

[THECORBYLOON]

close lankeela, it's "To a Louse" not "mouse"

Ha! whaur ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie?
Your impudence protects you sairly;
I canna say but ye strunt rarely,
Owre gauze and lace;
Tho', faith! I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.

Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her-
Sae fine a lady?
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.

Swith! in some beggar's haffet squattle;
There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle,
Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whaur horn nor bane ne'er daur unsettle
Your thick plantations.

Now haud you there, ye're out o' sight,
Below the fatt'rels, snug and tight;
Na, faith ye yet! ye'll no be right,
Till ye've got on it-
The verra tapmost, tow'rin height
O' Miss' bonnet.

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,
As plump an' grey as ony groset:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I'd gie you sic a hearty dose o't,
Wad dress your droddum.

I wad na been surpris'd to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy;
Or aiblins some bit dubbie boy,
On's wyliecoat;
But Miss' fine Lunardi! fye!
How daur ye do't?

O Jeany, dinna toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!
Ye little ken what cursed speed
The blastie's makin:
Thae winks an' finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin.

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!

[heathfield]

Lankeela - the 'gift' in this case means an extra ability you are born with that others don't normally have, like learning foreign languages easily, or being 'green-fingered', or a famous artist, etc. It's in this sense that we call such people 'gifted'. It was supposed in ancient times that these abilities were given to a person by the gods - such a god being the 'power' in the poem.

[Azimov]

Lankeelie when you translated that part you missed the translation of giftie... "giftie" isn't a word, it was "gift tae" which means "gift to", hence the translation should read...
"Oh would the power, the gift to give us!" etc

The rest was explained by Hethenfield (above)

[Azimov]

Sorry Heathfield, I have no idea why my fingers mistyped your name the way they did in that last post lol
Bad fingers! Bad!!

Oh, and while I'm here (again) let me take this opporchancity to say that we are now talking about my 2nd favourite poem of all time!

Not because I'm a Scot (My favourite is An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope) but because it has my favourite sentiment in it, coincidentally the one we are now discussing!

Never say you don't care how others view you, they might view you like you don't care!

[Mesmer]

Once again thanks for all you contributions particularly you The Corbyloon for all your time and trouble I enjoyed the poem very much.

[lankeela]

I stand corrected THECORBYLOON - I mistakenly read the title from the poem which appeared above the title rather than below it, if you see what I mean! In other words, 'To a Mouse' followed on, and I thought it was - oh never mind, I know what I mean!