A Man's A Man
A Man's A Man For A' That (recitation)
This is Robert Burns' classic poem in praise of the common man and his values of honesty, self-worth and disdain for the shallow trappings of the supposedly superior social classes. He tells us that the man who possesses these attributes outranks princes, knights marquises and dukes.
It has become an international anthem to the dignity of man and was chosen to be sung at the reopening of the Scottish parliament on 1st July 1999 by the renowned Scottish singer Sheena Wellington, who gave one of the most evocative renditions ever of the work.
It is one of Burns' best loved songs and in the YouGov poll for the Year of Creative Scotland in 2012 it came second only to Tam O' Shanter in popularity.
At only five versus long it is one of Robert Burns' shorter compositions, but word for word in terms if impact, it is surely one of his greatest. At Burns Suppers, and indeed, any Scottish-themed dinner A Man's A Man for A' That provides a traditional accompaniment to the ritual of piping in of the haggis.
The final stanza is particularly evocative, being a rousing call for men across the world to unite in international brotherhood.
So let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a' that,)
That Sense and Worth o'er a' the earth
Shall bear the gree an' a' that
For a' that an a' that
It's coming yet for a' that
That man to man, the world o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that
