O dinna look ye pridefu' doon on a' aneath your ken,
For he wha seems the furthest but, aft wins the farthest ben
And whiles the doubie o' the school tak's lead o' a' the rest,
The birdie sure to sing is aye the gorbel o' the nest.

The cauld grey misty morn aft brings a sultry sunny day,
The tree whais buds are latest, is the langest to decay;
The heart sair tried wi' sorrow aye endures the sternest test,
The birdie sure to sing is aye the gorbel o' the nest.

The wee wee stern that glints in heaven may be a lowin' sun
Tho' like a speck o' light scarce seen amid the welkin' dun;
The humblest sodger on the field may win the warrior's crest
The birdie sure to sing is aye the gorbel o' the nest.

Then dinna be impatient wi' your bairnie when he's slow,
And dinna scorn the humble, tho' the warld deem them low
The hindmost and the feeblest aft become the first and best,
The birdie sure to sing is aye the gorbel o' the nest.