The Shepherd's Farewell to “Snap”, His Old Working Collie

Fareweel, fareweel, my faithfu' Snap,
You've louped your hin'most dyke and slap,
And run complete your hin'most lap
Wi' best o' will,
And left behind a waefu' gap
That's ill to fill.

There's few, indeed, that I ha'e seen,
Wi' such a dog as you ha'e been,
Mair trusty than the human freen
We sometimes see.
Your memory will long be green
And fresh to me.

'Twas 'mong the Fintry hills so grey,
That first ye saw the licht o' day,
And promised, so I've heard men say
Maist frae your birth
What cam' to be a great display
O' actual worth.

Your Sire and Dam were understood
To rank among the extra good,
Their owners, maist uncommon prood,
Made no denial,
That each o' them was fit, and could
Face ony trial.

At first you seemed to understan'
Baith rinnin' oot and work to haun'
At sheddin' when the sheep were thrawn;
You showed a skill
To match the best frae Crawfordjohn
Or Highbowhill.

An able tutor for your guide
When rinnin' oot ye circled wide,
But sheddin' was your special pride,
You did it richt.
The clever way ye could divide
And haud them ticht.

At clippins, or a speanin' day (Weaning of lambs [CSD])
Your intellect got extra sway,
Nae single beast you'd let away
Wi' anxious care.
Though try, however hard they may
Ye held them there.

Thus, Snap, yours grew an honoured name,
A dog o' mair than local fame,
Was never lazy, tired or lame
Throughoot the season.
Nae sheep so wild but you could tame
And bring to reason.

But by and by there cam' to be,
A veil grew thick across your e'e,
Then ye was handed ower to me
Without a flaw.
And though you had but yin could see
I paid for twa.

This proved your value was misjudged,
But nae complaint or claim was lodged;
Your price was paid, and never grudged
Withoot a swither.
And years since sine we've quietly trudged
Alang thegether.

But men and dogs must face the day
When work and years bring on decay,
And faculties gang oft astray
Or disappear.
And faculties queer cantrips play
When oot o' gear.

And nooadays baith men and dogs,
Ha'e need o' baith their een and lugs
When motor cars---they're vile humbugs,
And motor bikes,
Career along like wild road hogs,
Regairdless tykes.

They treat pedestrians a' the same,
The auld, the blin', the deif and lame,
They scourch alang and shirk the blame,
Baith man and woman,
Regairdless though they kill or main
Beast, bird, or human.

So when you grew baith blin' and deif,
Escape for you could be but brief,
And though it filled oor hearts wi' grief
To send you west;
Since there was chance o' nae relief
'Twas for the best.

And wi' this sad decision made
Though hearts wi' grief were sore dismayed,
We took ye to a leafy glade
And chose your lair
Beneath a spreadin' hawthorn shade,
And laid you there.

Again, farewell, your sleep be soon'
Where warblers chant their sweetest tune
Safe frae the rush o' road and toon,
At peace you lie.
While breezes through the hawthorns croon
Your lullaby.