Delphi Complete Works of Robert Burns (Illustrated) (Delphi Poets Series)
Page 52
Condemn’d to drag a hopeless chain 5
And yet in secret languish;
To feel a fire in every vein,
Nor dare disclose my anguish.
Love’s veriest wretch, unseen, unknown,
I fain my griefs would cover; 10
The bursting sigh, th’ unweeting groan,
Betray the hapless lover.
I know thou doom’st me to despair,
Nor wilt, nor canst relieve me;
But, O Eliza, hear one prayer — 15
For pity’s sake forgive me!
The music of thy voice I heard,
Nor wist while it enslav’d me;
I saw thine eyes, yet nothing fear’d,
Till fears no more had sav’d me: 20
Th’ unwary sailor thus, aghast
The wheeling torrent viewing,
‘Mid circling horrors sinks at last,
In overwhelming ruin.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
495.
Canst thou leave me thus, my Katie (Song)
Tune— “Roy’s Wife.”
Chorus — Canst thou leave me thus, my Katie?
Canst thou leave me thus, my Katie?
Well thou know’st my aching heart,
And canst thou leave me thus, for pity?
IS this thy plighted, fond regard, 5
Thus cruelly to part, my Katie?
Is this thy faithful swain’s reward —
An aching, broken heart, my Katie!
Canst thou leave me, &c.
Farewell! and ne’er such sorrows tear 10
That finkle heart of thine, my Katie!
Thou maysn find those will love thee dear,
But not a love like mine, my Katie,
Canst thou leave me, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
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496.
My Nanie’s awa (Song)
Tune— “There’ll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.”
NOW in her green mantle blythe Nature arrays,
And listens the lambkins that bleat o’er her braes;
While birds warble welcomes in ilka green shaw,
But to me it’s delightless — my Nanie’s awa.
The snawdrap and primrose our woodlands adorn, 5
And violetes bathe in the weet o’ the morn;
They pain my sad bosom, sae sweetly they blaw,
They mind me o’ Nanie — and Nanie’s awa.
Thou lav’rock that springs frae the dews of the lawn,
The shepherd to warn o’ the grey-breaking dawn, 10
And thou mellow mavis that hails the night-fa’,
Give over for pity — my Nanie’s awa.
Come Autumn, sae pensive, in yellow and grey,
And soothe me wi’ tidings o’ Nature’s decay:
The dark, dreary Winter, and wild-driving snaw 15
Alane can delight me — now Nanie’s awa.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
497.
The Tear-drop— “Wae is my heart” (Song)
WAE is my heart, and the tear’s in my e’e;
Lang, lang has Joy been a stranger to me:
Forsaken and friendless, my burden I bear,
And the sweet voice o’ Pity ne’er sounds in my ear.
Love thou hast pleasures, and deep hae I luv’d; 5
Love, thou hast sorrows, and sair hae I pruv’d;
But this bruisèd heart that now bleeds in my breast,
I can feel, by its throbbings, will soon be at rest.
Oh, if I were — where happy I hae been —
Down by yon stream, and yon bonie castle-green; 10
For there he is wand’ring and musing on me,
Wha wad soon dry the tear-drop that clings to my e’e.
Chronological List of Poems
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498.
For the sake o’ Somebody (Song)
MY heart is sair — I dare na tell,
My heart is sair for Somebody;
I could wake a winter night
For the sake o’ Somebody.
O-hon! for Somebody! 5
O-hey! for Somebody!
I could range the world around,
For the sake o’ Somebody.
Ye Powers that smile on virtuous love,
O, sweetly smile on Somebody! 10
Frae ilka danger keep him free,
And send me safe my Somebody!
O-hon! for Somebody!
O-hey! for Somebody!
I wad do — what wad I not? 15
For the sake o’ Somebody.
Chronological List of Poems
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1795
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
499.
A Man’s a Man for a’ that (Song)
Tune— “For a’ that.”
IS there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that. 5
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an’ a that; 10
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man’s a Man for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that;
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor, 15
Is king o’ men for a’ that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that: 20
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that:
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.
A prince can mak a belted knight, 25
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that; 30
The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a’ that,)
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth, 35
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that. 40
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500.
Craigieburn Wood (Second Version) (Song)
SWEET fa’s the eve on Craigieburn,
And blythe awakes the morrow;
But a’ the pride o’ Spring’s return
Can yield me nocht but sorrow.
I see the flowers and spreading trees, 5
I hear the wild birds singing;
But what a weary wight can please,
And Care his bosom wringing!
Fain, fain would I my griefs impart,
Yet dare na for your anger; 10
But secret love will break my heart,
If I conceal it langer.
If thou refuse to pity me,
If thou shalt love another,
When yon green leaves fade frae the tree, 15
Around my grave they’ll wither.
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501.
The Solemn League and Covenant
Versicles of 1795
THE SOLEMN League and Covenant
Now brings a smile, now brings a tear;
But sacred Freedom, too, was theirs:
If thou’rt a slave, indulge thy sneer.
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502.
Lines to John Syme, Esq., with a dozen of Porter
Lines sent with a Present of a Dozen of Porter.
O HAD the malt thy strength of mind,
Or hops the flavour of thy wit,
‘Twere drink for first of human kind,
A gift that e’en for Syme were fit.
JERUSALEM TAVERN, DUMFRIES.
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503.
inscription on Mr. Syme’s crystal goblet
THERE’S Death in the cup, so beware!
Nay, more — there is danger in touching;
But who can avoid the fell snare,
The man and his wine’s so bewitching!
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504.
Apology to Mr. Syme for not dining with him
NO more of your guests, be they titled or not,
And cookery the first in the nation;
Who is proof to thy personal converse and wit,
Is proof to all other temptation.
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505.
Epitaph for Mr. Gabriel Richardson, Brewer
HERE Brewer Gabriel’s fire’s extinct,
And empty all his barrels:
He’s blest — if, as he brew’d, he drink,
In upright, honest morals.
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506.
Epigram on Mr. James Gracie
GRACIE, thou art a man of worth,
O be thou Dean for ever!
May he be d — d to hell henceforth,
Who fauts thy weight or measure!
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507.
Bonie Peg-a-Ramsay (Song)
CAULD is the e’enin blast,
O’ Boreas o’er the pool,
An’ dawin’ it is dreary,
When birks are bare at Yule.
Cauld blaws the e’enin blast, 5
When bitter bites the frost,
And, in the mirk and dreary drift,
The hills and glens are lost:
Ne’er sae murky blew the night
That drifted o’er the hill, 10
But bonie Peg-a-Ramsay
Gat grist to her mill.
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508.
Inscription at Friars’ Carse Hermitage
To the Memory of Robert Riddell.
TO Riddell, much lamented man,
This ivied cot was dear;
Wandr’er, dost value matchless worth?
This ivied cot revere.
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509.
There was a Bonie Lass (Fragment of a Song)
THERE was a bonie lass, and a bonie, bonie lass,
And she lo’ed her bonie laddie dear;
Till War’s loud alarms tore her laddie frae her arms,
Wi’ mony a sigh and tear.
Over sea, over shore, where the cannons loudly roar, 5
He still was a stranger to fear;
And nocht could him quail, or his bosom assail,
But the bonie lass he lo’ed sae dear.
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510.
Wee Willie Gray (Fragment of a Song)
Tune— “Wee Totum Fogg.”
WEE Willie Gray, and his leather wallet,
Peel a willow wand to be him boots and jacket;
The rose upon the breir will be him trews an’ doublet,
The rose upon the breir will be him trews an’ doublet,
Wee Willie Gray, and his leather wallet, 5
Twice a lily-flower will be him sark and cravat;
Feathers of a flee wad feather up his bonnet,
Feathers of a flee wad feather up his bonnet.
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511.
O aye my wife she dang me (Song)
Chorus — O aye my wife she dang me,
An’ aft my wife she bang’d me,
If ye gie a woman a’ her will,
Gude faith! she’ll soon o’er-gang ye.
ON peace an’ rest my mind was bent, 5
And, fool I was! I married;
But never honest man’s intent
Sane cursedly miscarried.
O aye my wife, &c.
Some sairie comfort at the last, 10
When a’ thir days are done, man,
My pains o’ hell on earth is past,
I’m sure o’ bliss aboon, man,
O aye my wife, &c.
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512.
Guid ale keeps the heart aboon (Song)
Chorus — O gude ale comes and gude ale goes;
Gude ale gars me sell my hose,
Sell my hose, and pawn my shoon —
Gude ale keeps my heart aboon!
I HAD sax owsen in a pleugh, 5
And they drew a’ weel eneugh:
I sell’d them a’ just ane by ane —
Gude ale keeps the heart aboon!
O gude ale comes, &c.
Gude ale hauds me bare and busy, 10
Gars me moop wi’ the servant hizzie,
Stand i’ the stool when I hae done —
Gude ale keeps the heart aboon!
O gude ale comes, &c.
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513.
Steer her up and haud her gaun (Song)
O STEER her up, an’ haud her gaun,
Her mither’s at the mill, jo;
An’ gin she winna tak a man,
E’en let her tak her will, jo.
First shore her wi’ a gentle kiss, 5
And ca’ anither gill, jo;
An’ gin she tak the thing amiss,
E’en let her flyte her fill, jo.
O steer her up, an’ be na blate,
An’ gin she tak it ill, jo, 10
Then leave the lassie till her fate,
And time nae langer spill, jo:
Ne’er break your heart for ae rebute,
But think upon it still, jo:
That gin the lassie winna do’t, 15
Ye’ll find anither will, jo.
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514.
The Lass o’ Ecclefechan (Song)
Tune— “Jack o’ Latin.”
GAT ye me, O gat ye me,
O gat ye me wi’ naething?
Rock an reel, and spinning wheel,
A mickle quarter basin:
Bye attour my Gutcher has 5
A heich house and a laich ane,
A’ forbye my bonie sel,
The toss o’ Ecclefechan.
O haud your tongue now, Lucky Lang,
O haud your tongue and jauner 10
I held the gate till you I met,
Syne I began to wander:
I tint my whistle and my sang,
I tint my peace and pleasure;
But your green graff, now Lucky Lang, 15
Wad airt me to my treasure.
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515.
O let me in
this ae night (Song)
O LASSIE, are ye sleepin yet,
Or are ye waukin, I wad wit?
For Love has bound me hand an’ fit,
And I would fain be in, jo.
Chorus. — O let me in this ae night, 5
This ae, ae, ae night;
O let me in this ae night,
I’ll no come back again, jo!