Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (150 page)
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Authors: Homer,William Shakespeare
Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766–1845)
OH, the auld house, the auld house!
What though the rooms were wee?
Oh, kind hearts were dwelling there,
And bairnies fu’ o’ glee!
The wild rose and the jessamine
5
Still hang upon the wa’:
How mony cherished memories
Do they, sweet flowers, reca’!
Oh, the auld laird, the auld laird,
Sae canty, kind, and crouse!
10
How mony did he welcome to
His ain wee dear auld house!
And the leddy, too, sae genty,
There sheltered Scotland’s heir,
And clipt a lock wi’ her ain hand
15
Frae his lang yellow hair.
The mavis still doth sweetly sing,
The blue-bells sweetly blaw;
The bonnie Earn’s clear winding still
But the auld house is awa’.
20
The auld house, the auld house!
Deserted though ye be,
There ne’er can be a new house
Will seem sae fair to me.
Still flourishing the auld pear tree,
25
The bairnies liked to see;
And oh, how often did they speir
When ripe they a’ wad be!
The voices sweet, the wee bit feet
Aye rinnin’ here and there;
30
The merry shout — oh! whiles we greet
To think we’ll hear nae mair.
For they are a’ wide scattered now,
Some to the Indies gane,
And ane, alas! to her lang hame;
35
Not here will meet again.
The kirkyaird! the kirkyaird!
Wi’ flowers o’ every hue,
Sheltered by the holly’s shade,
And the dark sombre yew.
40
The setting sun, the setting sun,
How glorious it gaed doun!
The cloudy splendour raised our hearts
To cloudless skies abune.
The auld dial, the auld dial,
45
It tauld how time did pass;
The wintry winds ha’e dung it doun,
Now hid ‘mang weeds and grass.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766–1845)
THE LAIRD o’ Cockpen, he’s proud and he’s great
His mind is ta’en up wi’ things o’ the State:
He wanted a wife, his braw house to keep;
But favour wi’ wooin’ was fashious to seek.
Down by the dyke -side a lady did dwell;
5
At his table-head he thought she’d look well —
McClish’s ae daughter o’ Clavers-ha’ Lee,
A penniless lass wi’ a lang pedigree.
His wig was weel pouther’d and as gude as new;
His waistcoat was white, his coat it was blue;
10
He put on a ring, a sword, and cocked hat, —
And wha could refuse the Laird wi’ a’ that!
He took the grey mare, and rade cannily,
And rapped at the yett o’ Clavers-ha’ Lee:
‘Gae tell Mistress Jean to come speedily ben, —
15
She’s wanted to speak to the Laird o’ Cockpen.’
Mistress Jean was makin’ the elder-flower wine:
‘And what brings the Laird at sic a like time?’
She put aff her apron and on her silk goun,
Her mutch wi’ red ribbons and gaed awa doun.
20
And when she cam’ ben he bowed fu’ low;
And what was his errand he soon let her know.
Amazed was the Laird when the lady said ‘Na’; —
And wi’ a laigh curtsey she turn’d awa’.
Dumfounder’d was he; but nae sigh did he gi’e,
25
He mounted his mare, and rade cannily;
And aften he thought as he gaed through the glen,
‘She’s daft to refuse the Laird o’ Cockpen!’
And now that the Laird his exit had made,
Mistress Jean she reflected on what she had said;
30
‘Oh, for ane I’ll get better its waur I’ll get ten,
I was daft to refuse the Laird o’ Cockpen.’
Next time that the Laird and the lady were seen,
They were gaun arm-in-arm to the kirk on the green;
Now she sits in the ha’ like a weel-tappit hen,
35
But as yet there’s nae chickens appeared at Cockpen.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766–1845)
O ROWAN tree, O rowan tree! thou’lt aye be dear to me!
Intwined thou art wi’ mony ties o’ hame and infancy.
Thy leaves were aye the first o’ spring, thy flowers the simmer’s pride;
There wasna sic a bonnie tree in a’ the country side.
O rowan tree!
5
How fair wert thou in simmer time, wi’ a’ thy clusters white,
How rich and gay thy autumn dress, wi’ berries red and bright!
On thy fair stem were mony names which now nae mair I see,
But they’re engraven on my heart — forgot they ne’er can be!
O rowan tree!
10
We sat aneath thy spreading shade, the bairnies round thee ran,
They pu’d thy bonnie berries red, and necklaces they strang.
My mother! O I see her still, she smiled our sports to see,
Wi’ little Jeanie on her lap, and Jamie at her knee.
O rowan tree!
15
O there arose my father’s prayer, in holy evening’s calm;
How sweet was then my mother’s voice in the Martyr’s psalm!
Now a’ are gane! we meet na mair aneath the rowan tree!
But hallowed thoughts around thee twine o’ hame and infancy.
O rowan tree!
20
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766–1845)
THE NEWS frae Moidart cam’ yestreen,
Will soon gar mony ferlie,
For ships o’ war hae just come in,
And landit Royal Charlie.
Come thro’ the heather, around him gather,
5
Ye’re a’ the welcomer early;
Around him cling wi’ a’ your kin;
For wha’ll be king but Charlie?
Come thro’ the heather, around him gather,
Come Ronald, come Donald, come a’ thegither
10
And crown your rightfu’, lawfu’ king!
For wha’ll be king but Charlie?
The Hieland clans, wi’ sword in hand,
Frae John o’ Groats to Airlie,
Hae to a man declared to stand
15
Or fa’ wi’ Royal Charlie.
The Lowlands a’, baith great an sma’,
Wi’ mony a lord and laird, hae
Declar’d for Scotia’s king an’ law,
An’ speir ye wha but Charlie.
20
There’s ne’er a lass in a’ the lan’,
But vows baith late and early,
She’ll ne’er to man gie heart or han’,
Wha wadna fecht for Charlie.
Then here’s a health to Charlie’s cause,
25
And be’t complete an’ early;
His very name our heart’s blood warms;
To arms for Royal Charlie!
Come thro’ the heather, around him gather,
Ye’re a’ the welcomer early;
30
Around him cling wi’ a’ your kin;
For wha’ll be king but Charlie?
Come thro’ the heather, around him gather,
Come Ronald, come Donald, come a’ thegither,
And crown your rightfu’, lawfu’ king!
35
For wha’ll be king but Charlie?
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766–1845)
‘TWAS on a Monday morning,
Right early in the year,
When Charlie came to our town,
The young Chevalier.
O Charlie is my darling,
5
My darling, my darling —
O Charlie is my darling,
The young Chevalier!
As he cam’ marching up the street,
The pipes played loud and clear,
10
And a’ the folk cam’ running out
To meet the Chevalier.
O Charlie is my darling, etc.
Wi’ Hieland bonnets on their heads,
And claymores bright and clear,
15
They cam’ to fight for Scotland’s right,
And the young Chevalier.
O Charlie is my darling, etc.
They’ve left their bonnie Hieland hills,
Their wives and bairnies dear,
20
To draw the sword for Scotland’s lord,
The young Chevalier.
O Charlie is my darling, etc.
O, there were mony beating hearts,
And mony a hope and fear,
25
And mony were the prayers put up
For the young Chevalier.
O Charlie is my darling,
My darling, my darling —
O Charlie is my darling,
30
The young Chevalier!
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Alexander Ross (1699–1784)
THE BRIDE cam’ out o’ the byre,
And O, as she dighted her cheeks,
‘Sirs, I’m to be married the-night,
And ha’e neither blankets nor sheets–
Ha’e neither blankets nor sheets,
5
Nor scarce a coverlet too;
The bride that has a’ thing to borrow,
Has e’en right meikle ado!’
Wooed and married and a’!
Married and wooed and a’!
10
And was she na very weel aff
That was wooed and married and a’?
Out spake the bride’s father
As he cam’ in frae the pleugh,
‘O haud your tongue, my dochter,
15
And ye’se get gear eneugh.
The stirk stands i’ the tether,
And our braw bawsint yade
Will carry hame your corn: —
What wad ye be at, ye jade?’
20
Out spake the bride’s mither:
‘What, deil, needs a’ this pride?
I hadna a plack in my pouch
That night I was a bride.
My gown was linsey-wolsey,
25
And ne’er a sark ava;
And ye ha’e ribbons and buskin’s
Mae than ane or twa.’
Out spake the bride’s brither
As he cam’ in wi’ the kye:
30
‘Puir Willie wad ne’er ha’e ta’en ye
Had he kent ye as weel as I.
For ye’re baith proud and saucy,
And no for a puir man’s wife;
Gin I canna get a better
35
I’se ne’er tak’ ane i’ my life!’
Out spake the bride’s sister
As she cam’ in frae the byre;
‘Oh, gin I were but married,
It’s a’ that I desire!
40
But we puir folk maun live,
And do the best we can;
I dinna ken what I should want
If I could get but a man!’
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order