Delphi Complete Works of Robert Burns (Illustrated) (Delphi Poets Series)
Page 29
YOUR friendship much can make me blest,
O why that bliss destroy!
Why urge the only, one request
You know I will deny!
Your thought, if Love must harbour there, 5
Conceal it in that thought;
Nor cause me from my bosom tear
The very friend I sought.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
205.
Go on, Sweet Bird, and Soothe my Care (Song)
FOR thee is laughing Nature gay,
For thee she pours the vernal day;
For me in vain is Nature drest,
While Joy’s a stranger to my breast.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
206.
Clarina, Mistress of my Soul (Song)
CLARINDA, mistres of my soul,
The measur’d time is run!
The wretch beneath the dreary pole
So marks his latest sun.
To what dark cave of frozen night 5
Shall poor Sylvander hie;
Depriv’d of thee, his life and light,
The sun of all his joy?
We part — but by these precious drops,
That fill thy lovely eyes, 10
No other light shall guide my steps,
Till thy bright beams arise!
She, the fair sun of all her sex,
Has blest my glorious day;
And shall a glimmering planet fix 15
My worship to its ray?
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
207.
I’m O’er Young to Marry yet (Song)
Chorus. — I’m o’er young, I’m o’er young,
I’m o’er young to marry yet;
I’m o’er young, ‘twad be a sin
To tak me frae my mammy yet.
I AM my mammny’s ae bairn, 5
Wi’ unco folk I weary, sir;
And lying in a man’s bed,
I’m fley’d it mak me eerie, sir.
I’m o’er young, &c.
My mammie coft me a new gown, 10
The kirk maun hae the gracing o’t;
Were I to lie wi’ you, kind Sir,
I’m feared ye’d spoil the lacing o’t.
I’m o’er young, &c.
Hallowmass is come and gane, 15
The nights are lang in winter, sir,
And you an’ I in ae bed,
In trowth, I dare na venture, sir.
I’m o’er young, &c.
Fu’ loud an’ shill the frosty wind 20
Blaws thro’ the leafless timmer, sir;
But if ye come this gate again;
I’ll aulder be gin simmer, sir.
I’m o’er young, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
208.
To the Weaver’s gin ye go (Song)
MY heart was ance as blithe and free
As simmer days were lang;
But a bonie, westlin weaver lad
Has gart me change my sang.
Chorus. — To the weaver’s gin ye go, fair maids, 5
To the weaver’s gin ye go;
I rede you right, gang ne’er at night,
To the weaver’s gin ye go.
My mither sent me to the town,
To warp a plaiden wab; 10
But the weary, weary warpin o’t
Has gart me sigh and sab.
To the weaver’s, &c.
A bonie, westlin weaver lad
Sat working at his loom; 15
He took my heart as wi’ a net,
In every knot and thrum.
To the weaver’s, &c.
I sat beside my warpin-wheel,
And aye I ca’d it roun’; 20
But every shot and evey knock,
My heart it gae a stoun.
To the weaver’s, &c.
The moon was sinking in the west,
Wi’ visage pale and wan, 25
As my bonie, westlin weaver lad
Convoy’d me thro’ the glen.
To the weaver’s, &c.
But what was said, or what was done,
Shame fa’ me gin I tell; 30
But Oh! I fear the kintra soon
Will ken as weel’s myself!
To the weaver’s, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
209.
M’Pherson’s Farewell (Song)
Tune— “M’Pherson’s Rant.”
FAREWELL, ye dungeons dark and strong,
The wretch’s destinie!
M’Pherson’s time will not be long
On yonder gallows-tree.
Chorus. — Sae rantingly, sae wantonly, 5
Sae dauntingly gaed he;
He play’d a spring, and danc’d it round,
Below the gallows-tree.
O, what is death but parting breath?
On many a bloody plain 10
I’ve dared his face, and in this place
I scorn him yet again!
Sae rantingly, &c.
Untie these bands from off my hands,
And bring me to my sword; 15
And there’s no a man in all Scotland
But I’ll brave him at a word.
Sae rantingly, &c.
I’ve liv’d a life of sturt and strife;
I die by treacherie: 20
It burns my heart I must depart,
And not avengèd be.
Sae rantingly, &c.
Now farewell light, thou sunshine bright,
And all beneath the sky! 25
May coward shame distain his name,
The wretch that dares not die!
Sae rantingly, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
210.
Stay my Charmer (Song)
Tune— “An gille dubh ciar-dhubh.”
STAY my charmer, can you leave me?
Cruel, cruel to deceive me;
Well you know how much you grieve me;
Cruel charmer, can you go!
Cruel charmer, can you go! 5
By my love so ill-requited,
By the faith you fondly plighted,
By the pangs of lovers slighted,
Do not, do not liave me so!
Do not, do not leave me so! 10
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
211.
My Hoggie (Song)
WHAT will I do gin my Hoggie die?
My joy, my pride, my Hoggie!
My only beast, I had nae mae,
And vow but I was vogie!
The lee-lang night we watch’d the fauld, 5
Me and my faithfu’ doggie;
We heard nocht but the roaring linn,
Amang the braes sae scroggie.
But the houlet cry’d frau the castle wa’,
The blitter frae the boggie; 10
The tod reply’d upon the hill,
I trembled for my Hoggie.
When day did daw, and cocks did craw,
The morning it was foggie;
An unco tyke, lap o’er the dyke, 15
And maist has kill’d my Hoggie!
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
212.
Raving Winds Around her Blowing (Song)
Tune— “M’Grigor of Roro’s Lament.”
I composed these verses on Miss Isabella M’Leod of Raza, alluding to her feelings on the death of her sister, and the still more melancholy death of her sister’s husband, the late Earl of Loudoun, who shot himself out of sheer heart-break at some mortifications he suffered, owing to the deranged state of his finances. — R. B., 1791.
RAVING winds around her blowing,
Yellow
leaves the woodlands strowing,
By a river hoarsely roaring,
Isabella stray’d deploring —
“Farewell, hours that late did measure 5
Sunshine days of joy and pleasure;
Hail, thou gloomy night of sorrow,
Cheerless night that knows no morrow!
“O’er the past too fondly wandering,
On the hopeless future pondering; 10
Chilly grief my life-blood freezes,
Fell despair my fancy seizes.
“Life, thou soul of every blessing,
Load to misery most distressing,
Gladly how wouldlI resign thee, 15
And to dark oblivion join thee!”
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
213.
Up in the Morning Early (Song)
CAULD blaws the wind frae east to west,
The drift is driving sairly;
Sae loud and shill’s I hear the blast —
I’m sure it’s winter fairly.
Chorus. — Up in the morning’s no for me, 5
Up in the morning early;
When a’ the hills are covered wi’ snaw,
I’m sure it’s winter fairly.
The birds sit chittering in the thorn,
A’ day they fare but sparely; 10
And lang’s the night frae e’en to morn —
I’m sure it’s winter fairly.
Up in the morning’s, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
214.
How Long and Dreary is the Night (Song)
HOW long and dreary is the night,
When I am frae my dearie!
I sleepless lie frae e’en to morn,
Tho’ I were ne’er so weary:
I sleepless lie frae e’en to morn, 5
Tho’ I were ne’er sae weary!
When I think on the happy days
I spent wi’ you my dearie:
And now what lands between us lie,
How can I be but eerie! 10
And now what lands between us lie,
How can I be but eerie!
How slow ye move, ye heavy hours,
As ye were wae and weary!
It was na sae ye glinted by, 15
When I was wi’ my dearie!
It was na sae ye glinted by,
When I was wi’ my dearie!
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
215.
Hey, the Dusty Miller (Song)
HEY, the dusty Miller,
And his dusty coat,
He will win a shilling,
Or he spend a groat:
Dusty was the coat, 5
Dusty was the colour,
Dusty was the kiss
That I gat frae the Miller.
Hey, the dusty Miller,
And his dusty sack; 10
Leeze me on the calling
Fills the dusty peck:
Fills the dusty peck,
Brings the dusty siller;
I wad gie my coatie 15
For the dusty Miller.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
216.
Duncan Davison (Song)
THERE was a lass, they ca’d her Meg,
And she held o’er the moors to spin;
There was a lad that follow’d her,
They ca’d him Duncan Davison.
The moor was dreigh, and Meg was skeigh, 5
Her favour Duncan could na win;
For wi’ the rock she wad him knock,
And aye she shook the temper-pin.
As o’er the moor they lightly foor,
A burn was clear, a glen was green, 10
Upon the banks they eas’d their shanks,
And aye she set the wheel between:
But Duncan swoor a haly aith,
That Meg should be a bride the morn;
Then Meg took up her spinning-graith, 15
And flang them a’ out o’er the burn.
We will big a wee, wee house,
And we will live like king and queen;
Sae blythe and merry’s we will be,
When ye set by the wheel at e’en. 20
A man may drink, and no be drunk;
A man may fight, and no be slain;
A man may kiss a bonie lass,
And aye be welcome back again!
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
217.
The Lad they ca’ Jumpin John (Song)
HER daddie forbad, her minnie forbad
Forbidden she wadna be:
She wadna trow’t the browst she brew’d,
Wad taste sae bitterlie.
Chorus. — The lang lad they ca’Jumpin John 5
Beguil’d the bonie lassie,
The lang lad they ca’Jumpin John
Beguil’d the bonie lassie.
A cow and a cauf, a yowe and a hauf,
And thretty gude shillin’s and three; 10
A vera gude tocher, a cotter-man’s dochter,
The lass wi’ the bonie black e’e.
The lang lad, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
218.
Talk of him that’s Far Awa (Song)
MUSING on the roaring ocean,
Which divides my love and me;
Wearying heav’n in warm devotion,
For his weal where’er he be.
Hope and Fear’s alternate billow 5
Yielding late to Nature’s law,
Whispering spirits round my pillow,
Talk of him that’s far awa.
Ye whom sorrow never wounded,
Ye who never shed a tear, 10
Care-untroubled, joy-surrounded,
Gaudy day to you is dear.
Gentle night, do thou befriend me,
Downy sleep, the curtain draw;
Spirits kind, again attend me, 15
Talk of him that’s far awa!
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
219.
To Daunton Me (Song)
THE BLUDE-RED rose at Yule may blaw,
The simmer lilies bloom in snaw,
The frost may freeze the deepest sea;
But an auld man shall never daunton me.
Refrain. — To daunton me, to daunton me, 5
And auld man shall never daunton me.
To daunton me, and me sae young,
Wi’ his fause heart and flatt’ring tongue,
That is the thing you shall never see,
For an auld man shall never daunton me. 10
To daunton me, &c.
For a’ his meal and a’ his maut,
For a’ his fresh beef and his saut,
For a’ his gold and white monie,
And auld men shall never daunton me. 15
To daunton me, &c.
His gear may buy him kye and yowes,
His gear may buy him glens and knowes;
But me he shall not buy nor fee,
For an auld man shall never daunton me. 20
To daunton me, &c.
He hirples twa fauld as he dow,
Wi’ his teethless gab and his auld beld pow,
And the rain rains down frae his red blear’d e’e;
That auld man shall never daunton me. 25
To daunton me, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
220.
The Winter it is Past (Song)
THE WINTER it is past, and the summer comes at last
And the small birds, they sing on ev’ry tree;
Now ev’ry thing is glad, while I am very sad,
Since my true love is parted from me.
The rose upon the bre
er, by the waters running clear, 5
May have charms for the linnet or the bee;
Their little loves are blest, and their little hearts at rest,
But my true love is parted from me.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
221.
The Bonie Lad that’s Far Awa (Song)
O HOW can I be blythe and glad,
Or how can I gang brisk and braw,
When the bonie lad that I lo’e best
Is o’er the hills and far awa!
It’s no the frosty winter wind, 5
It’s no the driving drift and snaw;
But aye the tear comes in my e’e,