by Robert Burns
And here’s to them, that, like oursel,
Can push about the jorum; punch bowl
And here’s to them that wish us weel, well
10 May a’ that’s guid watch o’er ’em: all, good
And here’s to them we dare na tell, not
The dearest o’ the quorum.—
This was signed ‘B’ in the S.M.M. Henley and Henderson suggest that this commemorates the poet’s parting with Clarinda (Mrs Agnes McLehose) on 6th December, 1791. This is conjecture. Kinsley states, quite accurately, that it is ‘a blend of love and conviviality in his finest lyric style’ (Vol. III, p. 1510).
As I Cam o’er the Cairney Mount –
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
AS I came o’er the Cairney mount,
And down among the blooming heather,
Kindly stood the milkin-shiel -shed
To shelter frae the stormy weather.— from
Chorus
5 O my bonie Highland lad,
My winsome, weelfar’d Highland laddie; well-favoured
Wha wad mind the wind and rain, who would
Sae weel row’d in his tartan plaidie.— so well rolled
Now Phebus blinkit on the bent, the sun, shone, hillock
10 And o’er the knowes the lambs were bleating: grassy mounds
But he wan my heart’s consent, won
To be his ain at the neist meeting. — own, next
O my bonie &c.
This was signed ‘Z’ in the S.M.M., suggesting that Johnson knew Burns adapted the lyric from an old (bawdy) song.
Highland Laddie
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
She
THE bonniest lad that e’er I saw,
Bonie laddie, Highland laddie,
Wore a plaid and was fu’ braw, handsome
5 Bonie Highland laddie.
On his head a bonnet blue,
Bonie laddie, Highland laddie,
His royal heart was firm and true,
Bonie Highland laddie.
10 He
Trumpets sound and cannons roar,
Bonie lassie, Lawland lassie, lowland
And a’ the hills wi’ echoes roar,
Bonie Lawland lassie.
15 Glory, Honour now invite,
Bonie lassie, Lawland lassie,
For freedom and my King to fight
Bonie Lawland lassie.
She
20 The sun a backward course shall take,
Bonie laddie, Highland laddie,
Ere ought thy manly courage shake; ought
Bonie Highland laddie.
Go, for yoursel procure renown,
25 Bonie laddie, Highland laddie,
And for your lawful King his crown,
Bonie Highland laddie.
This is unsigned in the S.M.M. The original, adapted by Burns, is a song called The Highland Lad and Highland Lass, set in 1745, but found in a collection of Jacobite songs A Collection of Loyal Songs (1750). It was reprinted in The True Loyalist (1779). Along with minor changes, the first stanza is from Burns.
Lovely Polly Stewart
Tune: Ye’re Welcome Charlie Stewart
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
THE flower it blaws, it fades, it fa’s, blows, falls
And art can ne’er renew it;
But Worth and Truth eternal youth
Will gie to Polly Stewart. — give
Chorus
5 O lovely Polly Stewart!
O charming Polly Stewart!
There’s ne’er a flower that blooms in May
That’s half so fair as thou art. —
May he, whase arms shall fauld thy charms, whose, enfold
10 Possess a leal and true heart! loyal
To him be given, to ken the Heaven know
He grasps in Polly Stewart!
O lovely &c.
Johnson has marked this song, ‘Written for this Work by Robert Burns’ in the S.M.M. Polly (Mary) Stewart was the daughter of William Stewart, the factor at Closeburn estate and also subject of the song You’re Welcome Willie Stewart.
The Highland Balou
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
HEE-balou, my sweet, wee Donald, lullaby
Picture o’ the great Clanronald;
Brawlie kens our wanton Chief finely knows
Wha gat my young Highland thief. — who got
5 Leeze me on thy bonie craigie, blessings, neck
An thou live, thou’ll steal a naigie, horse
Travel the country thro’ and thro’,
And bring hame a Carlisle cow. — home
Thro’ the Lawlands, o’er the Border, lowlands
10 Weel, my babie, may thou furder: well, further
Herry the louns o’ the laigh Countrie, harry, fools, low
Syne to the Highlands hame to me. — then, home
Previous editors are probably correct that this is a versification of a nursery song. The original, though, has not been traced. The Gaelic song Cagaran Gaolach is mentioned and quoted in Kinsley (Vol. III, p. 1512) as a modern example but Mackay errs (p. 588) in asserting it is the source of this song. It has no relationship to the work by Burns.
Wae is My Heart
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
Wae is my heart, and the tear’s in my e’e; sad, eye
Lang, lang joy’s been a stranger to me; long
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 lov’d; have
Love thou has sorrows, and sair hae I prov’d: sore have
But this bruised heart that now bleeds in my breast,
I can feel by its throbbings, will soon be at rest. —
O, if I were, where happy I hae been; have
Down by yon stream and yon bonie castle-green:
For there he is wand’ring, and musing on me,
Wha wad soon dry the tear frae his Phillis’ e’e. — who would, from, eye
This was unsigned in the S.M.M. It is based on an old ballad and shows signs of being reworked by Burns. A holograph exists and a second was supposedly seen by Scott Douglas in 1877.
Here’s his Health in Water
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
Although my back be at the wa’, wall
And tho’ he be the fautor, at fault
Altho’ my back be at the wa’,
Yet here’s his health in water. —
5 O wae gae by his wanton sides, sadly go
Sae brawly ’s he could flatter; so finely
Till for his sake I’m slighted sair, sore
And dree the kintra clatter: suffer, country gossip
But though my back be at the wa’, wall
10 Yet here’s his health in water. —
This fragment was signed ‘Z’ in the S.M.M. It is adapted from the song On the Birthday of King James VIII (1709) which features in the collection, Roxburghe Ballads.
Gude Wallace
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
O for my ain king, quo gude Wallace, own
The rightful king o’ fair Scotland;
Between me and my Sovereign Blude blood
I think I see some ill deed sawn.— sown
5 Wallace out over yon river he lap, leaped
And he ha lighted down on yon plain, has
And he was aware of a gay ladie,
As she was at the well washing.—
What tydins, what tydins, fair lady, he says, tidings/news
10 What tydins hast thou to tell unto me;
What tydins, what tydins, fair lady, he says,
What tydins hae ye in the South Countrie.— news have you
Low down in yon wee Ostler house,
There is fyfteen Englishmen, fifteen
15 And they are seeking for Gude Wallace,
It’s him to take and him to hang.—
There�
�s nocht in my purse, quo gude Wallace, nothing
There’s nocht, not even a bare pennie;
But I will down to yon wee Ostler house,
20 Thir fyfteen Englishmen to see.— those
And when he cam to yon wee Ostler house,
He bad benedicite be there; good fortune
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
25 Where was ye born, auld crookit Carl, old bent man
Where was ye born, in what countrie;
I am a true Scot born and bred,
And an auld, crookit carl sic as ye see.— such
I wad gie fyfteen shilling to onie crookit carl, would give
30 To onie crookit carl just sic as ye,
If ye will get me gude Wallace,
For he is the man I wad very fain see.— would
He hit the proud Captain alang the chafft-blade, along, jawbone
That never a bit o’ meat he ate mair; more
35 And he sticket the rest at the table where they sat stabbed
And he left them a’ lyin sprawlin there.— spread
Get up, get up, gudewife, he says,
And get to me some dinner in haste;
For it will soon be three lang days long
40 Sin I a bit o’ meat did taste.— since
The dinner was na weel readie, not well ready
Nor was it on the table set,
Till another fyfteen Englishmen
Were a’ lighted about the yett.— gate
45 Come out, come out now, gude Wallace,
This is the day that thou maun die; shall
I lippen nae sae little to God, he says, trust, not so
Altho’ I be but ill wordie.— unworthy
The gudewife had an auld gudeman, old husband
50 By gude Wallace he stiffly stood,
Till ten o’ the fyfteen Englishmen
Before the door lay in their blude.— blood
The other five to the greenwood ran,
And he hang’d these five upon a grain: tree-branch
55 And on the morn wi’ his merry men a’
He sat at dine on Lochmaben town.—
This is unsigned in the S.M.M. Kinsley asserts that: ‘It is clear Burns collected the ballad from oral tradition, but there is no evidence that he revised it’ (Vol. III, p. 1514). This judgement cannot be made with any real certainty and if it was right, Kinsley should have rejected the work from the canon. A chapbook ballad of this song was composed about 1750 which matches a considerable portion of this version. However, there are seven new stanzas in this edition not found in the chapbook version. (It was based on the William Hamilton abridgement of Blind Harry’s epic poetic tale on Sir William Wallace.) This does not automatically mean the new stanzas are by Burns. If Burns did rework the ballad, he may have recorded it from an unknown broadside print, or from someone’s singing. It is left in the canon on the basis that he probably did see a broadside version of the song which he may have reworked.
The Auld Man’s Mare’s Dead
First printed in Barke, 1955.
SHE was cut-luggit, painch-lippit, ear-torn, pinch-lipped
Steel waimit, stainchet-fittit, stomach, stanchion-footed
Chanler-chafit, lang-neckit, wide-jawed, long-necked
Yet the brute did die.—
Chorus
5 The auld man’s mare’ dead, old
The poor man’s mare’s dead,
The auld man’s mare’s dead.
A mile aboon Dundee.— above
Her lunzie-banes were knaggs and neuks, haunch-bones, knots, corners
10 She had the cleeks, the cauld, the crooks, cramps, cold, bent neck
The jawpish and the wanton yeuks, urinary disease, itch
And the howks boon her e’e.— eye growth, above, eye
The auld man’s &c.
My Master rade me to the town, rode
He ty’d me to a staincher round, tied, hitching post
15 He took a chappin till himsel, measure of drink
But fient a drap gae me. — not a drop gave
The auld man’s mare’s dead
The poor man’s mare’s dead,
The peats and tours and a’ to lead
20 And yet the bitch did die. —
This was sent to Johnson for the S.M.M. in the Autumn of 1795, but not printed. Burns referred Johnson to an earlier version in The Scots Nightingale (1779 edition) and the extant holograph shows some changes from this early version. The original was ascribed to a Peter Birnie of Fife who is supposed to have composed the lyric circa 1710. However, The Scots Nightingale gives it as the work of a Mr Watts. A peculiar little poem as it incongruously mixes vernacularly grotesque description with, in the third stanza, the horse’s own voice.
The Taylor
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
THE Taylor he cam here to sew,
And weel he kend the way to woo, well, knew
For ay he pree’d the lassie’s mou, tasted/tried, mouth
As he gaed but and ben O. went out and in
First Chorus
5 For weel he kend the way O well, knew
The way, O, the way O,
For weel he kend the way, O,
The lassie’s heart to win O.
The Taylor rase and sheuk his duds, rose, shook, clothes
10 The flaes they flew awa in cluds, fleas, away, clouds
And them that stay’d gat fearfu’ thuds, got, thumps
The Taylor prov’d a man O. —
Final Chorus
For now it was the gloamin,
The gloamin, the gloamin,
15 For now it was the gloamin
When a’ to rest are gaun O. — all, gone
This is unsigned in the S.M.M. It has some similarities to a song in the Herd Collection (1769) but is modelled on the 1776 broadside sheet The Taylor of Hogerglen’s Wedding, with some minor ammendments: only the final chorus is exclusively from Burns.
There Grows A Bonie Brier-Bush
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
THERE grows a bonie brier-bush in our kail-yard, vegetable patch
There grows a bonie brier-bush in our kail-yard;
And below the bonie brier-bush there’s a lassie and a lad,
And they’re busy, busy courting in our kail-yard. —
5 We’ll court nae mair below the buss in our kail-yard, no more, bush
We’ll court nae mair below the buss in our kail-yard;
We’ll awa to Athole’s green, and there we’ll no be seen, not
Where the trees and the branches will be our safe-guard. —
Will ye go to the dancin in Carlyle’s ha’,
10 Will ye go to the dancin in Carlyle’s ha’;
Whare Sandy and Nancy I’m sure will ding them a’? where, excel
I winna gang to the dance in Carlyle-ha’. will not go
What will I do for a lad, when Sandie gangs awa? goes
What will I do for a lad, when Sandie gangs awa?
15 I will awa to Edinburgh and win a pennie fee, away, servant work
And see an onie lad will fancy me. — if any
He’s comin frae the North that’s to marry me, from
He’s comin frae the North that’s to marry me;
A feather in his bonnet and a ribbon at his knee,
20 He’s a bonie, bonie laddie an yon be he. —
This work is signed ‘Z’ in the S.M.M. It is based on a traditional song re-written by Burns with much of the old story intact. There is, for once, a quite unintended irony in this song. Burns deliberately loads all his poetry with the often harsh detail of the life of the common people. Here an outdoor, probably prickly, nocturnal sexual encounter and the girl’s subsequent honest survival instinct were nominally assimilated into nineteenth-century culture to provide the nomenclature of the mendaciously sentimental ‘Kailyard’ school. Beneath the Bony Briar Bush is, in fact, the title of one of its
most popular novels.
Here’s to Thy Health My Bonie Lass
Tune: Laggan Burn
First printed in Johnson, 1796.
HERE’S to thy health, my bonie lass,
Guid night and joy be wi’ thee: good
I’ll come nae mair to thy bower-door, no more
To tell thee that I lo’e thee. love
5 O dinna think, my pretty pink, do not
But I can live without thee:
I vow and swear I dinna care, do not
How lang ye look about ye. long
Thou’rt ay sae free informing me always so
10 Thou hast nae mind to marry: no
I’ll be as free informing thee,
Nae time hae I to tarry. no, have
I ken thy freens try ilka means know, friends, every
Frae wedlock to delay thee; from
15 Depending on some higher chance,
But fortune may betray thee.
I ken they scorn my low estate,
But that does never grieve me;
For I’m as free as any he,
20 Sma’ siller will relieve me. little money
