---
title: "The Epitaph"
author: "Robert Burns"
form: "Poem"
year: "1786"
location: "Mossgiel"
source: "Project Gutenberg #1279 — Poems and Songs of Robert Burns"
source_url: "https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1279/pg1279.txt"
canonical_url: "https://robert-burns.com/poems/the-epitaph/"
---

# The Epitaph

## Poem
Tam Samson’s weel-worn clay here lies  
Ye canting zealots, spare him!  
If honest worth in Heaven rise,  
Ye’ll mend or ye win near him.

---

Source: [Project Gutenberg #1279 — Poems and Songs of Robert Burns](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1279/pg1279.txt)  
Canonical HTML: https://robert-burns.com/poems/the-epitaph/