by Homer
He’s ower the hills that I lo’e weel;
He’s ower the hills we daurna name;
He’s ower the hills ayont Dunblane,
Wha soon will get his welcome hame.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
The Auld House
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
The Laird o’ Cockpen
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
The Rowan Tree
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
Wha’ll Be King But Charlie?
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!
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
Charlie Is My Darling
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
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Wooed and Married and A’
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
John Skinner
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Tullochgorum
John Skinner (1721–1807)
COME, gi’es sang, Montgom’rie cried,
And lay your disputes a’ aside;
What signifies for folks to chide
For what was done before them?
Let Whig and Tory a’ agree, 5
Whig and Tory, Whig and Tory,
Whig and Tory a’ agree
To drop their whigmigmorum;
Let Whig and Tory a’ agree
To spend this night in mirth and glee, 10
And cheerfu’ sing, alang wi’ me,
The reel o’ Tullochgorum.
O Tullochgorum’s my delight;
It gars us a’ in ane unite;
And ony sumph that keeps up spite, 15
In conscience I abhor him.
Blithe and merry we’ll be a’,
Blithe and merry, blithe and merry,
Blithe and merry we’ll be a’
And mak’ a cheerfu’ quorum. 20
For blithe and merry we’ll be a’
As lang as we ha’e breath to draw,
And dance, till we be like to fa’,
The reel o’ Tullochgorum.
What needs there be sae great a fraise 25
Wi’ dringin’, dull Italian lays?
I wadna gi’e our ain strathspeys
For half a hunder score o’ them.
They’re dowf and dowie at the best,
Dowf and dowie, dowf and dowie, 30
Dowf and dowie at the best,
Wi’ a’ their variorum.
They’re dowf and dowie at the best,
Their allegros and a’ the rest;
They canna please a Scottish taste 35
Compared wi’ Tullochgorum.
Let worldly worms their minds oppress
Wi’ fears o’ want and double cess,
And sullen sots themsel’s distress
Wi’ keeping up decorum. 40
Shall we sae sour and sulky sit?
Sour and sulky, sour and sulky,
Sour and sulky shall we sit,
Like auld philosophorum?
Shall we sae sour and sulky sit, 45
Wi’ neither sense, nor mirth, nor wit,
Nor ever rise to shake a fit
To the reel o’ Tullochgorum?
May choicest blessings aye attend
Each honest, open-hearted friend, 50
And calm and quiet be his end,
And a’ that’s gude watch o’er him!
May peace and plenty be his lot,
Peace and plenty, peace and plenty,
Peace and plenty be his lot, 55
And dainties a great store o’ them!
May peace and plenty be his lot,
Unstained by ony vicious spot,
And may he never want a groat,
That’s fond o’ Tullochgorum! 60
But for the discontented fool,
Wha wants to be oppression’s tool,
May envy gnaw his rotten soul,
And discontent devour him!
May dule and sorrow be his chance, 65
Dule and sorrow, dule and sorrow,
Dule and sorrow be his chance,
And nane say ‘Wae’s me for him!’
May dule and sorrow be his chance,
And a’ the ills that come frae France, 70
Whae’er he be that winna dance
The reel o’ Tullochgorum!
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Michael Bruce
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
To the Cuckoo
Michael Bruce (1746–1767)
HAIL! beauteous Stranger of the wood!
Attendant on the Spring!
Now heav’n repairs thy rural seat,
And woods thy welcome sing.
Soon as the daisy decks the green, 5
Thy certain voice we hear:
Hast thou a star to guide thy path,
Or mark the rolling year?
Delightful visitant! with thee
I hail the time of flow’rs, 10
When heav’n is fill’d with music sweet
Of birds among the bow’rs.
The schoolboy wand’ring in the wood
To pull the flow’rs so gay,
Starts, thy curious voice to hear, 15
And imitates thy lay.
Soon as the pea puts on the bloom,
Thou fly’st thy vocal vale,
An annual guest, in other lands,
Another Spring to hail. 20
Sweet bird! thy bow’r is ever green,
Thy sky is ever clear;
Thou hast no sorrow in thy song,
No winter in thy year!
Alas! sweet bird! not so my fate, 25
Dark scowling skies I see
Fast gathering round, and fraught with woe
And wintry years to me.
O could I fly, I’d fly with thee: