by Robert Burns
He ca’d the girrs out o’er us a’;
An’ our gudewife has gotten a ca’,
That’s anger’d the silly gudeman O.
We’ll hide the Cooper, &c.
He sought them out, he sought them in, 10
Wi’ deil hae her! an’, deil hae him!
But the body he was sae doited and blin’,
He wist na where he was gaun O.
We’ll hide the Cooper, &c.
They cooper’d at e’en, they cooper’d at morn, 15
Till our gudeman has gotten the scorn;
On ilka brow she’s planted a horn,
And swears that there they sall stan’ O.
We’ll hide the Cooper, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
Alphabetical List of Poems
524.
The lass that made the bed to me (Song)
WHEN Januar’ wind was blawing cauld,
As to the north I took my way,
The mirksome night did me enfauld,
I knew na where to lodge till day:
By my gude luck a maid I met, 5
Just in the middle o’ my care,
And kindly she did me invite
To walk into a chamber fair.
I bow’d fu’ low unto this maid,
And thank’d her for her courtesie; 10
I bow’d fu’ low unto this maid,
An’ bade her make a bed to me;
She made the bed baith large and wide,
Wi’ twa white hands she spread it doun;
She put the cup to her rosy lips, 15
And drank— “Young man, now sleep ye soun’.”
Chorus. — The bonie lass made the bed to me,
The braw lass made the bed to me,
I’ll ne’er forget till the day I die,
The lass that made the bed to me. 20
She snatch’d the candle in her hand,
And frae my chamber went wi’ speed;
But I call’d her quickly back again,
To lay some mair below my head:
A cod she laid below my head, 25
And servèd me with due respect,
And, to salute her wi’ a kiss,
I put my arms about her neck.
The bonie lass, &c.
“Haud aff your hands, young man!” she said, 30
“And dinna sae uncivil be;
Gif ye hae ony luve for me,
O wrang na my virginitie.”
Her hair was like the links o’ gowd,
Her teeth were like the ivorie, 35
Her cheeks like lilies dipt in wine,
The lass that made the bed to me:
The bonie lass, &c.
Her bosom was the driven snaw,
Twa drifted heaps sae fair to see; 40
Her limbs the polish’d marble stane,
The lass that made the bed to me.
I kiss’d her o’er and o’er again,
And aye she wist na what to say:
I laid her ‘tween me and the wa’; 45
The lassie thocht na lang till day.
The bonie lass, &c.
Upon the morrow when we raise,
I thank’d her for her courtesie;
But aye she blush’d and aye she sigh’d, 50
And said, “Alas, ye’ve ruin’d me.”
I claps’d her waist, and kiss’d her syne,
While the tear stood twinkling in her e’e;
I said, my lassie, dinna cry.
For ye aye shall make the bed to me. 55
The bonie lass, &c.
She took her mither’s holland sheets,
An’ made them a’ in sarks to me;
Blythe and merry may she be,
The lass that made the bed to me. 60
Chorus. — The bonie lass made the bed to me,
The braw lass made the bed to me.
I’ll ne’er forget till the day I die,
The lass that made the bed to me.
Chronological List of Poems
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525.
Had I the wyte, she bade me (Song)
HAD I the wyte, had I the wyte,
Had I the wyte? she bade me;
She watch’d me by the hie-gate side,
And up the loan she shaw’d me.
And when I wadna venture in, 5
A coward loon she ca’d me:
Had Kirk an’ State been in the gate,
I’d lighted when she bade me.
Sae craftilie she took me ben,
And bade me mak nae clatter; 10
“For our ramgunshoch, glum gudeman
Is o’er ayont the water.”
Whae’er shall say I wanted grace,
When I did kiss and dawte her,
Let him be planted in my place, 15
Syne say, I was the fautor.
Could I for shame, could I for shame,
Could I for shame refus’d her;
And wadna manhood been to blame,
Had I unkindly used her! 20
He claw’d her wi’ the ripplin-kame,
And blae and bluidy bruis’d her;
When sic a husband was frae hame,
What wife but wad excus’d her!
I dighted aye her e’en sae blue, 25
An’ bann’d the cruel randy,
And weel I wat, her willin’ mou
Was sweet as sugar-candie.
At gloamin-shot, it was I wot,
I lighted on the Monday; 30
But I cam thro’ the Tyseday’s dew,
To wanton Willie’s brandy.
Chronological List of Poems
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526.
The Dumfries Volunteers (Song)
Tune— “Push about the Jorum.”
DOES haughty Gaul invasion threat?
Then let the louns beware, Sir;
There’s wooden walls upon our seas,
And volunteers on shore, Sir:
The Nith shall run to Corsincon, 5
And Criffel sink in Solway,
Ere we permit a Foreign Foe
On British ground to rally!
We’ll ne’er permit a Foreign Foe
On British ground to rally! 10
O let us not, like snarling curs,
In wrangling be divided,
Till, slap! come in an unco loun,
And wi’ a rung decide it!
Be Britain still to Britain true, 15
Amang ourselves united;
For never but by British hands
Maun British wrangs be righted!
No! never but by British hands
Shall British wrangs be righted! 20
The Kettle o’ the Kirk and State,
Perhaps a clout may fail in’t;
But deil a foreign tinkler loun
Shall ever ca’a nail in’t.
Our father’s blude the Kettle bought, 25
And wha wad dare to spoil it;
By Heav’ns! the sacrilegious dog
Shall fuel be to boil it!
By Heav’ns! the sacrilegious dog
Shall fuel be to boil it! 30
The wretch that would a tyrant own,
And the wretch, his true-born brother,
Who would set the Mob aboon the Throne,
May they be damn’d together!
Who will not sing “God save the King,” 35
Shall hang as high’s the steeple;
But while we sing “God save the King,”
We’ll ne’er forget THE PEOPLE!
But while we sing “God save the King,”
We’ll ne’er forget THE PEOPLE! 40
Chronological List of Poems
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527.
Address to the Woodlark (Song)
Tune— “Loch Erroch Side.”
O STAY, sweet warbling woodlark, stay,
Nor quit for me the trembling spray,
&nbs
p; A hapless lover courts thy lay,
Thy soothing, fond complaining.
Again, again that tender part, 5
That I may catch thy melting art;
For surely that wad touch her heart
Wha kills me wi’ disdaining.
Say, was thy little mate unkind,
And heard thee as the careless wind? 10
Oh, nocht but love and sorrow join’d,
Sic notes o’ woe could wauken!
Thou tells o’ never-ending care;
O’speechless grief, and dark despair:
For pity’s sake, sweet bird, nae mair! 15
Or my poor heart is broken.
Chronological List of Poems
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528.
On Chloris being ill (Song)
Tune— “Aye wauken O.”
Chorus — Long, long the night,
Heavy comes the morrow
While my soul’s delight
Is on her bed of sorrow.
CAN I cease to care? 5
Can I cease to languish,
While my darling Fair
Is on the couch of anguish?
Long, long, &c.
Ev’ry hope is fled, 10
Ev’ry fear is terror,
Slumber ev’n I dread,
Ev’ry dream is horror.
Long, long, &c.
Hear me, Powers Divine! 15
Oh, in pity, hear me!
Take aught else of mine,
But my Chloris spare me!
Long, long, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
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529.
How cruel are the parents (Song)
Altered from an old English song.
Tune— “John Anderson, my jo.”
HOW cruel are the parents
Who riches only prize,
And to the wealthy booby
Poor Woman sacrifice!
Meanwhile, the hapless Daughter 5
Has but a choice of strife;
To shun a tyrant Father’s hate —
Become a wretched Wife.
The ravening hawk pursuing,
The trembling dove thus flies, 10
To shun impelling ruin,
Awhile her pinions tries;
Till, of escape despairing,
No shelter or retreat,
She trusts the ruthless Falconer, 15
And drops beneath his feet.
Chronological List of Poems
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530.
Yonder pomp of costly fashion (Song)
Air— “Deil tak the wars.”
MARK yonder pomp of costly fashion
Round the wealthy, titled bride:
But when compar’d with real passion,
Poor is all that princely pride.
Mark yonder, &c. (four lines repeated). 5
What are the showy treasures,
What are the noisy pleasures?
The gay, gaudy glare of vanity and art:
The polish’d jewels’ blaze
May draw the wond’ring gaze; 10
And courtly grandeur bright
The fancy may delight,
But never, never can come near the heart.
But did you see my dearest Chloris,
In simplicity’s array; 15
Lovely as yonder sweet opening flower is,
Shrinking from the gaze of day,
But did you see, &c.
O then, the heart alarming,
And all resistless charming, 20
In Love’s delightful fetters she chains the willing soul!
Ambition would disown
The world’s imperial crown,
Ev’n Avarice would deny,
His worshipp’d deity, 25
And feel thro’ every vein Love’s raptures roll.
Chronological List of Poems
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531.
Twas na her bonie blue e’e (Song)
Tune— “Laddie, lie near me.”
‘TWAS na her bonie blue e’e was my ruin,
Fair tho’ she be, that was ne’er my undoin’;
‘Twas the dear smile when nae body did mind us,
‘Twas the bewitching, sweet, stown glance o’ kindness:
‘Twas the bewitching, sweet, stown glance o’ kindness. 5
Sair do I fear that to hope is denied me,
Sair do I fear that despair maun abide me,
But tho’ fell fortune should fate us to sever,
Queen shall she be in my bosom for ever:
Queen shall she be in my bosom for ever. 10
Chloris, I’m thine wi’ a passion sincerest,
And thou hast plighted me love o’ the dearest!
And thou’rt the angel that never can alter,
Sooner the sun in his motion would falter:
Sooner the sun in his motion would falter. 15
Chronological List of Poems
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532.
Their groves o’ sweet myrtle (Song)
Tune— “Humours of Glen.”
THEIR groves o’ sweet myrtle let Foreign Lands reckon,
Where bright-beaming summers exalt the perfume;
Far dearer to me yon lone glen o’ green breckan,
Wi’ the burn stealing under the lang, yellow broom.
Far dearer to me are yon humble broom bowèrs 5
Where the blue-bell and gowan lurk, lowly, unseen;
For there, lightly tripping, among the wild flowèrs,
A-list’ning the linnet, aft wanders my Jean.
Tho’ rich is the breeze in their gay, sunny valleys,
And cauld Caledonia’s blast on the wave; 10
Their sweet-scented woodlands that skirt the proud palace,
What are they? — the haunt of the Tyrant and Slave.
The Slave’s spicy forests, and gold-bubbling fountains,
The brave Caledonian views wi’ disdain;
He wanders as free as the winds of his mountains, 15
Save Love’s willing fetters — the chains of his Jean.
Chronological List of Poems
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533.
Forlorn, my love, no comfort here (Song)
Air— “Let me in this ae night.”
FORLORN, my Love, no comfort near,
Far, far from thee, I wander here;
Far, far from thee, the fate severe,
At which I most repine, Love.
Chorus. — O wert thou, Love, but near me! 5
But near, near, near me,
How kindly thou wouldst cheer me,
And mingle sighs with mine, Love.
Around me scowls a wintry sky,
Blasting each bud of hope and joy; 10
And shelter, shade, nor home have I;
Save in these arms of thine, Love.
O wert thou, &c.
Cold, alter’d friendship’s cruel part,
To poison Fortune’s ruthless dart — 15
Let me not break thy faithful heart,
And say that fate is mine, Love.
O wert thou, &c.
But, dreary tho’ the moments fleet,
O let me think we yet shall meet; 20
That only ray of solace sweet,
Can on thy Chloris shine, Love!
O wert thou, &c.
Chronological List of Poems
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534.
Why tell the lover (Fragment of a Song)
Tune— “Caledonian Hunt’s delight.”
WHY, why tell thy lover
Bliss he never must enjoy”?
Why, why undeceive him,
And give all his hopes the lie?
O why, while fancy, raptur’d slumbers, 5
“Chloris, Chloris” all the theme,
Why, why would’st thou, cr
uel —
Wake thy lover from his dream?
Chronological List of Poems
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535.
The Braw Wooer (Song)
Tune— “The Lothian Lassie.”
LAST May, a braw wooer cam doun the lang glen,
And sair wi’ his love he did deave me;
I said, there was naething I hated like men —
The deuce gae wi’m, to believe me, believe me;
The deuce gae wi’m to believe me. 5
He spak o’ the darts in my bonie black e’en,
And vow’d for my love he was diein,
I said, he might die when he likèd for Jean —
The Lord forgie me for liein, for liein;
The Lord forgie me for liein! 10
A weel-stocked mailen, himsel’ for the laird,
And marriage aff-hand, were his proffers;
I never loot on that I kenn’d it, or car’d;
But thought I might hae waur offers, waur offers;
But thought I might hae waur offers. 15
But what wad ye think? — in a fortnight or less —
The deil tak his taste to gae near her!
He up the Gate-slack to my black cousin, Bess —