Here is Burns answering the question: what is happiness. Let's pause over his words. I put a rough gloss beneath each line. The lines are part of a verse titled "Poem on Life", dated 1796. I don't know how that date relates to when this was written.
...
0 what a canty warld were it,
[Wouldn't it be a cheerful world]
Would pain, and care, and sickness spare it ;
[Without pain and worries and sickness in it;]
And fortune favour worth and merit,
And fortune favour worth and merit,
[And what if fortune favored those of worth and merit]
As they deserve :
As they deserve :
[according to their actions]
(And aye a rowth,‘ roast beef and claret;
(And aye a rowth,‘ roast beef and claret;
[Then with a bit of beef and claret]
Syne, wha. wad starve?)
Syne, wha. wad starve?)
[ who would complain.)]
Dame Life, though fiction out may trick her,
[Life may appear different than she is]
And in aste gems and fripp‘ry deck her;
[if dressed in cheap jewels;]
Oh! fllick’rin , feeble, and unsicker
[When shifting ,weak and unsteady]
I ‘ve found her still,
[She may be found]
Aye wav'ring like the willow wicker,
[waving like a small willow]
’Tween good and ill.
[between good and bad]
Then that curst carmagnole, auld Satan,
[Then old Satan, that damn French musician,]
Watches, like baudrons by a rattan
[watches like a rat watches cats]
Our sinfu’ saul to get a claut on
[To grab our sinful soul]
Wi’ felon ire;
[When we are angry;]
Syne, whip ! his tail ye’ll ne’er cast saut on,—
[And then his tail whips too fast to see]
He's afl' like fire.
[He's quicker than fire]
Ah Nick! ah Nick ! it is na fair,
[Oh Devil, it is not fair]
First showing us the tempting ware,
[First you show us the tempting merchandise]
Bright wines and bonnie lasses rare,
Dame Life, though fiction out may trick her,
[Life may appear different than she is]
And in aste gems and fripp‘ry deck her;
[if dressed in cheap jewels;]
Oh! fllick’rin , feeble, and unsicker
[When shifting ,weak and unsteady]
I ‘ve found her still,
[She may be found]
Aye wav'ring like the willow wicker,
[waving like a small willow]
’Tween good and ill.
[between good and bad]
Then that curst carmagnole, auld Satan,
[Then old Satan, that damn French musician,]
Watches, like baudrons by a rattan
[watches like a rat watches cats]
Our sinfu’ saul to get a claut on
[To grab our sinful soul]
Wi’ felon ire;
[When we are angry;]
Syne, whip ! his tail ye’ll ne’er cast saut on,—
[And then his tail whips too fast to see]
He's afl' like fire.
[He's quicker than fire]
Ah Nick! ah Nick ! it is na fair,
[Oh Devil, it is not fair]
First showing us the tempting ware,
[First you show us the tempting merchandise]
Bright wines and bonnie lasses rare,
[Sparkling drink and beautiful women]
To put us daft ;
[To make us crazy;]
Syne weave, unseen, thy spider snare
[then weave unseen your spider trap]
0' hell’s d—d waft.
[of hell's damned web]
Poor man, the flie, aft bizzes by,
To put us daft ;
[To make us crazy;]
Syne weave, unseen, thy spider snare
[then weave unseen your spider trap]
0' hell’s d—d waft.
[of hell's damned web]
Poor man, the flie, aft bizzes by,
[And poor man, like a fly, comes through it]
....
The Complete Poetical Works of Robert Burns: With a Glossary and Life of the Author (1849) is at Google books. The glossary starts on page 515
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