Delphi Complete Works of Robert Burns (Illustrated) (Delphi Poets Series) (70 page)
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Authors: Robert Burns
418.
O were my love you lilac fair (Song)
Air
— “Hughie Graham.”
O WERE my love yon Lilac fair,
Wi’ purple blossoms to the Spring,
And I, a bird to shelter there,
When wearied on my little wing!
How I wad mourn when it was torn
5
By Autumn wild, and Winter rude!
But I wad sing on wanton wing,
When youthfu’ May its bloom renew’d.
O gin my love were yon red rose,
That grows upon the castle wa’;
10
And I myself a drap o’ dew,
Into her bonie breast to fa’!
O there, beyond expression blest,
I’d feast on beauty a’ the night;
Seal’d on her silk-saft faulds to rest,
15
Till fley’d awa by Phoebus’ light!
419.
To its ain tune.
THERE was a lass, and she was fair,
At kirk or market to be seen;
When a’ our fairest maids were met,
The fairest maid was bonie Jean.
And aye she wrought her mammie’s wark,
5
And aye she sang sae merrilie;
The blythest bird upon the bush
Had ne’er a lighter heart than she.
But hawks will rob the tender joys
That bless the little lintwhite’s nest;
10
And frost will blight the fairest flowers,
And love will break the soundest rest.
Young Robie was the brawest lad,
The flower and pride of a’ the glen;
And he had owsen, sheep, and kye,
15
And wanton naigies nine or ten.
He gaed wi’ Jeanie to the tryste,
He danc’d wi’ Jeanie on the down;
And, lang ere witless Jeanie wist,
Her heart was tint, her peace was stown!
20
As in the bosom of the stream,
The moon-beam dwells at dewy e’en;
So trembling, pure, was tender love
Within the breast of bonie Jean.
And now she works her mammie’s wark,
25
And aye she sighs wi’ care and pain;
Yet wist na what her ail might be,
Or what wad make her weel again.
But did na Jeanie’s heart loup light,
And didna joy blink in her e’e,
30
As Robie tauld a tale o’ love
Ae e’ening on the lily lea?
The sun was sinking in the west,
The birds sang sweet in ilka grove;
His cheek to hers he fondly laid,
35
And whisper’d thus his tale o’ love:
“O Jeanie fair, I lo’e thee dear;
O canst thou think to fancy me,
Or wilt thou leave thy mammie’s cot,
And learn to tent the farms wi’ me?
40
“At barn or byre thou shalt na drudge,
Or naething else to trouble thee;
But stray amang the heather-bells,
And tent the waving corn wi’ me.”
Now what could artless Jeanie do?
45
She had nae will to say him na:
At length she blush’d a sweet consent,
And love was aye between them twa.
420.
BLEST be M’Murdo to his latest day!
No envious cloud o’ercast his evening ray;
No wrinkle, furrow’d by the hand of care,
Nor ever sorrow add one silver hair!
O may no son the father’s honour stain,
5
Nor ever daughter give the mother pain!
421.
Named Echo
IN wood and wild, ye warbling throng,
Your heavy loss deplore;
Now, half extinct your powers of song,
Sweet Echo is no more.
Ye jarring, screeching things around,
5
Scream your discordant joys;
Now, half your din of tuneless sound
With Echo silent lies.
422.
Epigrams against the Earl of Galloway
WHAT dost thou in that mansion fair?
Flit, Galloway, and find
Some narrow, dirty, dungeon cave,
The picture of thy mind.
——
—
No Stewart art thou, Galloway,
5
The Stewarts ‘ll were brave;
Besides, the Stewarts were but fools,
Not one of them a knave.
Bright ran thy line, O Galloway,
Thro’ many a far-fam’d sire!
10
So ran the far-famed Roman way,
And ended in a mire.
——
—
Spare me thy vengeance, Galloway!
In quiet let me live:
I ask no kindness at thy hand,
15
For thou hast none to give.
423.
Epigram on the Laird of Laggan
WHEN Morine, deceas’d, to the Devil went down,
‘Twas nothing would serve him but Satan’s own crown;
“Thy fool’s head,” quoth Satan, “that crown shall wear never,
I grant thou’rt as wicked, but not quite so clever.”
424.
Tune
— “Robin Adair.”
WHILE larks, with little wing,
Fann’d the pure air,
Tasting the breathing Spring,
Forth I did fare:
Gay the sun’s golden eye
5
Peep’d o’er the mountains high;
Such thy morn! did I cry,
Phillis the fair.
In each bird’s careless song,
Glad I did share;
10
While yon wild-flowers among,
Chance led me there!
Sweet to the op’ning day,
Rosebuds bent the dewy spray;
Such thy bloom! did I say,
15
Phillis the fair.
Down in a shady walk,
Doves cooing were;
I mark’d the cruel hawk
Caught in a snare:
20
So kind may fortune be,
Such make his destiny,
He who would injure thee,
Phillis the fair.
425.
Tune
— “Robin Adair.”
HAD I a cave on some wild distant shore,
Where the winds howl to the wave’s dashing roar:
There would I weep my woes,
There seek my lost repose,
Till grief my eyes should close,
5
Ne’er to wake more!
Falsest of womankind, can’st thou declare
All thy fond, plighted vows fleeting as air!
To thy new lover hie,
Laugh o’er thy perjury;
10
Then in thy bosom try
What peace is there!
426.
BY Allan stream I chanc’d to rove,
While Phoebus sank beyond Benledi;
The winds are whispering thro’ the grove,
The yellow corn was waving ready:
I listen’d to a lover’s sang,
5
An’ thought on youthfu’ pleasures mony;
And aye the wild-wood echoes rang —
“O, dearly do I love thee, Annie!
“O, happy be the woodbine bower,
Nae nightly bogle make it eerie;
10
Nor ever sorrow stain the hour,
The place and time I met my Dearie!
Her head upon my throbbing breast,
She, sinking, said, ‘I’m thine for ever!’
While mony a kiss the seal imprest —
15
The sacred vow we ne’er should sever.”
The haunt o’ Spring’s the primrose-brae,
The Summer joys the flocks to follow;
How cheery thro’ her short’ning day,
Is Autumn in her weeds o’ yellow;
20
But can they melt the glowing heart,
Or chain the soul in speechless pleasure?
Or thro’ each nerve the rapture dart,
Like meeting her, our bosom’s treasure?