Poems and Songs of Robert Burns

by Robert Burns

  Did ne'er to me sic tidings bring,

  As meeting o' my Willy.

  Both. For a' the joys, &c.

  He. The bee that thro' the sunny hour

  Sips nectar in the op'ning flower,

  Compar'd wi' my delight is poor,

  Upon the lips o' Philly.

  She. The woodbine in the dewy weet,

  When ev'ning shades in silence meet,

  Is nocht sae fragrant or sae sweet

  As is a kiss o' Willy.

  Both. For a' the joys, &c.

  He. Let fortune's wheel at random rin,

  And fools may tine and knaves may win;

  My thoughts are a' bound up in ane,

  And that's my ain dear Philly.

  She. What's a' the joys that gowd can gie?

  I dinna care a single flie;

  The lad I love's the lad for me,

  And that's my ain dear Willy.

  Both. For a' the joys, &c.

  Contented Wi' Little And Cantie Wi' Mair

  tune-"Lumps o' Puddin'."

  Contented wi' little, and cantie wi' mair,

  Whene'er I forgather wi' Sorrow and Care,

  I gie them a skelp as they're creeping alang,

  Wi' a cog o' gude swats and an auld Scottish sang.

  Chorus-Contented wi' little, &c.

  I whiles claw the elbow o' troublesome thought;

  But Man is a soger, and Life is a faught;

  My mirth and gude humour are coin in my pouch,

  And my Freedom's my Lairdship nae monarch dare touch.

  Contented wi' little, &c.

  A townmond o' trouble, should that be may fa',

  A night o' gude fellowship sowthers it a':

  When at the blythe end o' our journey at last,

  Wha the deil ever thinks o' the road he has past?

  Contented wi' little, &c.

  Blind Chance, let her snapper and stoyte on her way;

  Be't to me, be't frae me, e'en let the jade gae:

  Come Ease, or come Travail, come Pleasure or Pain,

  My warst word is: "Welcome, and welcome again!"

  Contented wi' little, &c.

  Farewell Thou Stream

  Air-"Nansie's to the greenwood gane."

  Farewell, thou stream that winding flows

  Around Eliza's dwelling;

  O mem'ry! spare the cruel thoes

  Within my bosom swelling.

  Condemn'd to drag a hopeless chain

  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;

  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-

  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:

  Th' unwary sailor thus, aghast

  The wheeling torrent viewing,

  'Mid circling horrors sinks at last,

  In overwhelming ruin.

  Canst Thou Leave Me Thus, My Katie

  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,

  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

  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.

  My Nanie's Awa

  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,

  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,

  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

  Alane can delight me-now Nanie's awa.

  The Tear-Drop

  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;

  Love, thou hast sorrows, and sair hae I pruv'd;

  But this bruised 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;

  For there he is wand'ring and musing on me,

  Wha wad soon dry the tear-drop that clings to my e'e.

  For The Sake O' Somebody

  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!

  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!

  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?

  For the sake o' Somebody.

  A Man's A Man For A' That

  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.

  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;

  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,

  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:

  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,

  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;

  The pith o' se
nse, 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,

  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.

  Craigieburn Wood

  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,

  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;

  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,

  Around my grave they'll wither.

  Versicles of 1795

  The Solemn League And Covenant

  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.

  Compliments Of John Syme Of Ryedale

  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.

  Inscription On A 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!

  Apology For Declining An Invitation To Dine

  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.

  Epitaph For Mr. Gabriel Richardson

  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.

  Epigram On Mr. James Gracie

  Gracie, thou art a man of worth,

  O be thou Dean for ever!

  May he be damned to hell henceforth,

  Who fauts thy weight or measure!

  Bonie Peg-a-Ramsay

  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,

  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,

  But bonie Peg-a-Ramsay

  Gat grist to her mill.

  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.

  There Was A Bonie Lass

  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,

  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.

  Wee Willie Gray

  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,

  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.

  O Aye My Wife She Dang Me

  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,

  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,

  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.

  Gude Ale Keeps The Heart Aboon

  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,

  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,

  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.

  O Steer Her Up An' Haud Her Gaun

  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,

  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,

  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,

  Ye'll find anither will, jo.

  The Lass O' Ecclefechan

  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

  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

  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,

  Wad airt me to my treasure.

  O Let Me In Thes Ae Night

  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,

  This ae, ae, ae night;

  O let me in this ae night,

  I'll no come back again, jo!

  O hear'st thou not the wind an' weet?

  Nae star blinks thro' the driving sleet;

  Tak pity on my weary feet,

  An
d shield me frae the rain, jo.

  O let me in, &c.

  The bitter blast that round me blaws,

  Unheeded howls, unheeded fa's;

  The cauldness o' thy heart's the cause

  Of a' my care and pine, jo.

  O let me in, &c.

  Her Answer

  O tell na me o' wind an' rain,

  Upbraid na me wi' cauld disdain,

  Gae back the gate ye cam again,

  I winna let ye in, jo.

  Chorus-I tell you now this ae night,

  This ae, ae, ae night;

  And ance for a' this ae night,

  I winna let ye in, jo.

  The snellest blast, at mirkest hours,

  That round the pathless wand'rer pours

  Is nocht to what poor she endures,

  That's trusted faithless man, jo.

  I tell you now, &c.

  The sweetest flower that deck'd the mead,

  Now trodden like the vilest weed-

  Let simple maid the lesson read

  The weird may be her ain, jo.

  I tell you now, &c.

  The bird that charm'd his summer day,

  Is now the cruel Fowler's prey;

  Let witless, trusting, Woman say

  How aft her fate's the same, jo!

  I tell you now, &c.

  I'll Aye Ca' In By Yon Town

  Air-"I'll gang nae mair to yon toun."

  Chorus-I'll aye ca' in by yon town,

  And by yon garden-green again;

  I'll aye ca' in by yon town,

  And see my bonie Jean again.