The Canongate Burns

by Robert Burns

  John Anderson My Joe, 1

  John Barleycorn: A Ballad, 1

  John Bushby’s Lamentation, 1

  John Highlandman, 1

  John Kennedy, To, 1, 2

  John M’Murdo and Baillie Swan, On, 1

  John M’murdo, On, 1

  John M’murdo, To, 1

  John Maxwell, Esq. of Terraughtie on his Birth-Day, To, 1

  John Morine, Laird of Laggan, On, 1

  John Syme, To, 1, 2

  Johnie Blunt, 1

  Johnie Cope, 1

  Johnson’s Opinion of Hampden, On, 1

  Jolly Gauger, The, 1

  Jumpin John, 1

  Keekin’ Glass, The, 1

  Kellyburn Braes, 1

  Killiecrankie, 1

  Kirk and State Excisemen, 1

  Kirk’s Alarm, The, 1

  Kissin My Kate, 1

  Laddies by the Banks o’ Nith, The, 1

  Lady Mary Ann, 1

  Lady Onlie, Honest Lucky, 1

  Lament for James, Earl of Glencairn, 1

  Lament of Mary Queen of Scots on the Approach of Spring, 1

  Lament, The, 1

  Landlady, Count the Lawin, 1

  Lass o’ Ecclefechan, The, 1

  Lass of Cessnock Banks, The, 1

  Lass that Made the Bed, The, 1

  Lass wi’ a Tocher, A, 1

  Lassie wi’ the Lint-White Locks, 1

  Lassie, Lie Near Me, 1

  Late Captain Grose’s Peregrinations, On the, 1

  Late Death of Dr Adam Smith, On the, 1

  Lazy Mist, The, 1

  Lea-Rig, The, 1

  Leezie Lindsay, 1

  Let Me in This Ae Night, 1

  Let Not Women E’er Complain, 1

  Libel Summons, 1

  Lines Addressed to Mr John Ranken, 1

  Lines by Burns in The British Album, 1

  Lines in a Lady’s Pocket Book, 1

  Lines on Ambition, 1

  Lines on Seeing the Royal Palace at Stirling in Ruins, 1

  Lines on the Bachelor’s Club, Tarbolton, 1

  Lines to John Ranken, 1

  Lines Written in Gavin Hamilton’s Privy, 1

  Lines Written in Lamington Kirk, 1

  Lines Written on a Bank-Note, 1

  Lines Written on a Window, 1

  Lines, sent to Sir John Whiteford, 1

  Logan Braes, 1

  Logan, To Miss, 1

  Look Up and See, 1

  Lord Galloway 2, On, 1

  Lord Galloway 3, On, 1

  Lord Galloway, To, 1

  Lord Gregory, 1

  Lord Ronald My Son, 1

  Louis, What Reck I by Thee, 1

  Louse, To a, 1

  Love and Liberty, 1

  Love’s Records, 1

  Lovely Davies, 1

  Lovely Lass o’ Inverness, The, 1

  Lovely Polly Stewart, 1

  Lover’s Morning Salute to His Mistress, The, 1

  Man Was Made to Mourn: A Dirge, 1

  Man’s a Man for A’ That, A, 1

  Maria Riddell, To, 1

  Mark Yonder Pomp, 1

  Marriage, On, 1

  Mary Morison, 1

  Mauchline Lady, The, 1

  Mauchline Wedding, The, 1

  McPherson’s Farewell, 1

  Meg o’ the Mill, 1, 2

  Memory of the Unfortunate Miss Burns, 1791, To the, 1

  Messrs Muir, Palmer, Skirving and Margarot, To, 1

  Monody on a Lady Famed for her Caprice, 1

  Monody on the Fatal 29th

  December, 1789, A, 1

  Montgomerie’s Peggy, 1

  Mountain Daisy, To a, 1

  Mouse, To a, 1

  Mrs. Ferguson of Craigdarroch’s Lamentation for the Death of her Son, 1

  Muirland Meg, 1

  Musing on the Roaring Ocean, 1

  My Bonie Bell, 1

  My Bony Mary, 1

  My Collier Laddie, 1

  My Father was a Farmer, 1

  My Girl She’s Airy, 1

  My Heart’s in the Highlands, 1

  My Highland Lassie, O, 1

  My Lord A-Hunting He is Gane, 1

  My Love, She’s but a Lassie Yet, 1

  My Nanie’s Awa, 1

  My Nanie, O, 1

  My Peggy’s Face, 1

  My Tocher’s the Jewel, 1

  My Wife’s a Wanton Wee Thing, 1

  My Wife’s a Winsome Wee Thing, 1

  Nature’s Bard, 1

  Nature’s Law, 1

  New Psalm for the Chapel of Kilmarnock on the Thanksgiving-Day for His Majesty’s Recovery, A, 1

  New Song, 1

  Night was Still, The, 1

  Nine Inch Will Please a Lady, 1

  Ninetieth Psalm Paraphrased, The, 1

  Nithsdale’s Welcome Hame, 1

  No Churchman am I, 1

  No Cold Approach, 1

  Noisy Polemic, On a, 1

  Noted Coxcomb, On a, 1

  Now Spring has Clad the Grove in Green, 1

  O Ay My Wife She Dang Me, 1

  O Dear Minny, What Shall I Do?, 1

  o, For Ane and Twenty, Tam, 1

  O Gude Ale Comes, 1

  O John, Come Kiss Me Now, 1

  O Kenmure’s On and Awa, Willie, 1

  O Lay Thy Loof in Mine Lass, 1

  O Leave Novels, 1

  O Mally’s Meek, Mally’s Sweet, 1

  O May, Thy Morn, 1

  O Once I Lov’d a Bonie Lass, 1

  O Philly, Happy be that Day, 1

  O Poortith Cauld, 1

  O Raging Fortune’s Withering Blast, 1

  O Saw Ye My Maggie, 1

  O Saw Ye My Phely, 1

  O Steer Her Up an’ Haud Her Gaun, 1

  O that I had Ne’er been Married, 1

  O This is no My Ain Lassie, 1

  O Tibby, I Hae Seen the Day, 1

  O Wat Ye Wha’s in Yon Town, 1

  O, Were I on Parnassus Hill, 1

  O, Were My Love Yon Lilack Fair, 1

  O, Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast, 1

  O, Whistle an’ I’ll Come to Ye, My Lad, 1

  O’ er the Water to Charlie, 1

  Occasional Address, Spoken by Miss Fontenelle, 1

  Ode for General Washington’s Birthday, 1

  Ode for Hibernia’s Sons, 1

  Ode to Spring, 1

  Ode to the Departed Regency Bill, 1

  Ode, Sacred to the Memory of Mrs.

  Oswald of Auchencruive, 1

  Of a’ the Airts, 1

  Old Sweetheart, To an, 1

  One Night as I did Wander, 1

  Open the Door to Me, Oh, 1

  Ordination, The, 1

  Painter, To a, 1

  Paraphrase of the First Psalm, 1

  Passion’s Cry, 1

  Patriarch, The, 1

  Pegasus at Wanlockhead, 1

  Perish their Names, 1

  Peter Stuart, To, 1

  Phillis the Fair, 1

  Pinned to Mrs. Walter Riddell’s Carriage, 1

  Pitt’s Hair-Powder Tax, On Mr., 1

  Ploughman, The, 1

  Poem on Pastoral Poetry, 1

  Poet’s Welcome to his Love-Begotten Daughter, A, 1

  Poetical Inscription for an Altar of Independence, 1

  Poor Mailie’s Elegy, 1

  Posie, The, 1

  Prayer, A, 1

  Prayer, in the Prospect of Death, A, 1

  Prayer: O Thou Dread Power, 1

  Pretty Peg, 1

  Primrose, The, 1

  Prologue, 1

  Prologue Spoken at the Theatre of Dumfries, 1

  Prose Essay by Burns, A, 1

  Prose Introduction to Tam O’ Shanter, 1

  Rantin Dog, the Daddie o’t, The, 1

  Rantin Laddie, The, 1

  Rattlin, Roarin Willie, 1

  Raving Winds around her Blowing, 1

  Reading in a Newspaper, the Death of John M’Leod, Esq., On, 1

  Red, Re
d Rose, A, 1

  Reel o’ Stumpie, The, 1

  Remember the Poor, 1

  Remorse, 1

  Remorseful Apology, 1

  Renton of Lamerton, To Mr., 1

  Reply to a Censorious Critic, 1

  Reply to Robert Riddell, 1

  Reproof, The, 1

  Rev. Dr Babington, On, 1

  Rev. John M’math, To the, 1

  Rights of Woman, The, 1

  Rigs o Barley, The, 1

  Robert Bruce’s Address to His Troops at Bannockburn, 1

  Robert Burns and Robert the Bruce, 1

  Robert Fergusson – I, On, 1

  Robert Fergusson – II, On, 1

  Robert Graham of Fintry, Esq., To, 1, 2

  Robert Riddell, On, 1

  Robin Shure in Hairst, 1

  Ronalds of the Bennals, The, 1

  Rosebud, by My Early Walk, A, 1

  Rough Roads, On, 1

  Rowin ’t in Her Apron, The, 1

  Ruin, To, 1

  Ruin’d Maid’s Complaint, The, 1

  Ruined Farmer, The, 1

  Rusticity’s Ungainly Form, 1

  Sae Far Awa, 1

  Sandy and Jockie, 1

  Saw Ye Bonie Lesley, 1

  Scaring Some Water-Fowl in Loch Turit, On, 1

  Scotch Bard, On a, 1

  Scotch Drink, 1

  Scotian Muse, The, 1

  Scots Prologue, 1

  Scroggam, 1

  Seas and Far Away, On the, 1

  Second Epistle to Davie, 1

  Second Epistle to J. Lapraik, 1

  Seeing a Wounded Hare, On, 1

  Seeing Miss Fontenelle in a

  Favourite Character, On, 1

  Seeing the Beautiful Country Seat of Lord Galloway, On, 1

  Selkirk Grace, The, 1

  Sensibility How Charming, 1

  She Says she Lo’es me Best of a’, 1

  She’s Fair and Fause, 1

  Shepherd’s Wife, The, 1

  Sketch for an Elegy, 1

  Sketch. New Year’s Day, 1

  Slave’s Lament, The, 1

  Sodger’s Return, The, 1

  Solemn League and Covenant, The, 1

  Song of Death, The, 1

  Sonnet, 1

  Sonnet to Robert Graham of Fintry, 1

  Sonnet upon Sonnets, A, 1

  Sonnet: On the Death of Robert Riddell Esq. of Glenriddell, April 1794, 1

  Sons of old Killie, Ye, 1

  Stanzas Written in Prospect of Death, 1

  Stay, My Charmer, Can You Leave Me, 1

  Strathallan’s Lament, 1

  Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation, 1

  Suicide, On a, 1

  Sutor’s o’ Selkirk, The, 1

  Swearing Coxcomb, On a, 1

  Sweetest May, 1

  Sylvander to Clarinda, 1

  Symon Gray, To, 1

  Tam Glen, 1

  Tam Lin, 1

  Tam o’ Shanter: A Tale, 1

  Tam Samson’s Elegy, 1

  Tam the Chapman, On, 1

  Tarbolton Lasses, The, 1

  Taylor, The, 1

  Taylor Fell thro’ the Bed, The, 1

  Thanksgiving for a National Victory, On a, 1

  Their Groves o’ Sweet Myrtle, 1

  Then Guidwife, Count the Lawin, 1

  Theniel Menzies’ Bonie Mary, 1

  There Grows a Bonie Brier-Bush, 1

  There was a Bonie Lass, 1

  There was a Lad, 1

  There was Twa Wives, 1

  There’ll Never be Peace till Jamie Comes Hame, 1

  There’s a Youth in this City, 1

  There’s News Lasses News, 1

  There’s Three True Gude Fellows, 1

  Thine Am I, My Chloris Fair, 1

  Third Epistle to J. Lapraik, 1

  Tho’ Women’s Minds, 1

  Thou Gloomy December, 1

  Thou Hast Left Me Ever, 1

  Thou Lingering Star, 1

  Though Cruel Fate, 1

  Tibbie Dunbar, 1

  Tibbie Fowler, 1

  Toadeater – 1, The, 1

  Toadeater – 2, The, 1

  Toast, The, 1

  Tragic Fragment, 1

  Tree of Liberty, The, 1

  Trogger, The, 1

  True Loyal Natives, Ye, 1

  Twa Dogs: A Tale, The, 1

  Twa Herds: An Unco Mournfu’ Tale, The, 1

  ’Twas Na Her Bonie Blue E’e, 1

  Untitled, 1

  Up and Warn a’ Willie, 1

  Up in the Morning Early, 1

  Verses Intended to be Written Below a Noble Earl’s Picture, 1

  Verses Written on a Window of the Inn at Carron, 1

  Verses Written upon a Blank Leaf, 1

  Verses Written with a Pencil, 1

  Versicles on Sign-Posts, 1

  Vision, The, 1

  Vowels: a Tale, The, 1

  Wae is My Heart, 1

  Walter Riddell, Esq., On Mr., 1

  Wandering Willie, 1

  Wat Ye Wha that Lo’es Me, 1

  Waukrife Minnie, A, 1

  Weary Fa’ You, Duncan Gray, 1

  Weary Pund o’ Tow, The, 1

  Weaver’s Gin ye Go, To the, 1

  Wee Johnie, On, 1

  Wee Willie Gray, 1

  Wha is that at my Bower Door?, 1

  Wha’ll Mow Me Now?, 1

  What Can a Young Lassie do wi’ an Auld Man, 1

  What Will I do Gin my Hoggie Die, 1

  When First I Saw Fair Jeanie’s Face, 1

  When Guilford Good, 1

  When She Cam Ben, She Bobbed, 1

  Where Helen Lies, 1

  Where Wit May Sparkle –, 1

  Where, Braving Angry Winter’s Storms, 1

  Whistle o’er the Lave o’t, 1

  Whistle, The, 1

  White Cockade, The, 1

  Why Should Na Poor Folk Mowe, 1

  Why Should We Idly Waste Our Prime, 1

  Why, Tell Thy Lover, 1

  Will Ye Go to the Indies, My Mary, 1

  William Creech, On, 1

  William Simson, Ochiltree, To, 1

  William Smellie, On, 1

  William Stewart, To, 1

  Willie Brew’d a Peck o’ Maut, 1

  Willie Chalmers’ Sweetheart, To, 1

  Willie Wastle, 1

  Wilt Thou Be My Dearie?, 1

  Winter it is Past, The, 1

  Winter Night, A, 1

  Winter, a Dirge, 1

  Wm. Graham of Mossknowe, On, 1

  Wren’s Nest, The, 1

  Written in Friar’s Carse Hermitage, 1

  Written under the Portrait of Miss Burns, 1

  Written with a Pencil Standing by the Fall of Fyers, near Loch Ness, 1

  Yestreen I Had a Pint o’ Wine, 1

  Yon Rosy Brier, 1

  Yon Wild Mossy Mountains, 1

  You’re Welcome, Willie Stewart, 1

  Young Highland Rover, The, 1

  Young Jamie, 1

  Young Jessie, 1

  Young Jockie was the Blythest Lad, 1

  Young Peggy, 1

  Your Friendship, 1

  Acknowledgements

  Patrick Scott Hogg would like to thank Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Burns Bicentenary Committee, especially Shirley Bell and John Dowson, for its grant in 1995 to initiate the archival research programme. Two subsequent grants from The Carnegie Trust were also of invaluable assistance. Scott Hogg would like to repeat his gratitude expressed in Robert Burns: The Lost Poems (1997) to everybody who helped him. Particular thanks are due to Bobby Dalziel, John Manson and Peter Westwood. Albert Calder and Norry Paton were also sources of encouragement and Scott Hogg has said that he owes a great debt to Robert Pate, Jack Hunter and Lord Singh of Lesmahagow.

  Andrew Noble would like to thank The Leverhulme Trust for a major grant, which allowed him to employ his co-editor in 1998–9 as a Research Assistant at Strathclyde University. He would also like to record his gr
atitude to The Institute for Advanced Studies at Edinburgh University, whose award of a Visiting Research Fellowship in 2000 gave him invaluable time and space to complete this project.

  We would also record our thanks to librarians all over Britain; the most harassed were Donald Nelson and Harzara Singh of Glasgow’s Mitchell Library’s world-famous Burns Collection. For keying in various parts of the manuscript we received sterling help from Jordana Brown, John McLeish, Martin Ogg and David Exley.

  From the academic community Carol McGuirk, Tom Crawford, and David Daiches were consistently supportive in their sympathetic and objective scholarship. Thanks are also due to Rory Watson for his assistance and, with Cairns Craig, his editorial acceptance of the project. Of signal help was Liam McIlvanney’s scholarship. His forthcoming book from Tuckwell (The Radical Burns: Poetry and Politics in the Late Eighteenth Century) complements and compliments this edition.

  Last, but by no means least, Andrew Noble would like to thank his wife Jennifer, and Patrick Scott Hogg and his partner Helen for the patience shown in the face of this mammoth task. The last words, as always, should be the Bard’s:

  Ah, gentle dames! it gars me greet,

  To think how many counsels sweet,

  How mony lengthen’d sage advices,

  The husband frae the wife despises!

  ‘To select and arrange what ought to be published of Burns’s will be no easy task, when you consider the variety of taste and opinions which obtain among men and the necessity there is for the strictest delicacy being ever kept in view. His poetry and letters were so often blended with Religion, Politics, Love, and Bawdry that the greatest care must be taken to render his thoughts and opinions consistent.’

  Alexander Cunningham: The Syme-Cunningham Correspondence, The Burns Chronicle, 1938, XIII, p. 43.

  ‘… the editing of his works was, for a full century after his death, in the hands of men temperamentally unfitted to sympathise with certain phases of his character, and incapable of frank and objective presentation of facts of which they disapproved.’

  Professor J. De Lancey Ferguson, The Letters of Robert Burns, p. xxxix, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1931.

  About the Author

  THE CANONGATE BURNS

  Robert Burns (1759–96) entered the world on 25 January as the first of William Burnes and Agnes Brown’s seven children (four boys and three girls). Originally from Kincardineshire, Burnes worked as a gardener in Ayrshire where he also leased land as a tenant farmer and built a two-roomed cottage at Alloway. Burnes was not a successful farmer and had to struggle with harsh land and demanding factors first at Mount Oliphant and then at Lochlie farm at Tarbolton. Nevertheless, he aimed to give Robert and his brother Gilbert a decent education, sending them to village schools and making arrangements for Robert to spend some of the summer months studying French and Mathematics with his former teacher as tutor. By the age of fifteen Burns was widely read in English literature and considered something of a ‘prodigy’ in French, but it seems likely that hard labour on the farm weakened his heart and eventually contributed to an early death.