Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

Hear it not, WALLACE! in thy bed of death.
Ye babbling winds! in silence sweep,
Disturb not ye the hero's sleep,
Nor give the coward secret breath!

Is this the ancient Caledonian form,

Firm as the rock, resistless as the storm?

Show me that eye which shot immortal hate,

Blasting the despot's proudest bearing;

Show me that arm which, nerv'd with thundering fate,
Crush'd Usurpation's boldest daring!-

Dark-quench'd as yonder sinking star,

No more that glance lightens afar;

That palsied arm no more whirls on the waste of war.

INSCRIPTION TO MISS GRAHAM OF FINTRY
HERE, where the Scottish Muse immortal lives,
In sacred strains and tuneful numbers joined,
Accept the gift; though humble he who gives,
Rich is the tribute of the grateful mind.

So may no ruffian-feeling in my breast,
Discordant, jar thy bosom-chords among;
But Peace attune thy gentle soul to rest,
Or Love, ecstatic, wake his seraph song,

Or Pity's notes, in luxury of tears,

As modest Want the tale of woe reveals;
While conscious Virtue all the strains endears,
And heaven-born Piety her sanction seals.

ON THE SEAS AND FAR AWAY

Tune "O'er the hills and far away."
How can my poor heart be glad,
When absent from my sailor lad;
How can I the thought forego-
He's on the seas to meet the foe?
Let me wander, let me rove,
Still my heart is with my love;
Nightly dreams, and thoughts by day,
Are with him that's far away.

Chorus. On the seas and far away,
On stormy seas and far away;

Nightly dreams and thoughts by day,
Are aye with him that's far away.

When in summer noon I faint,
As weary flocks around me pant,
Haply in this scorching sun,
My sailor's thund'ring at his gun;
Bullets, spare my only joy!
Bullets, spare my darling boy!
Fate, do with me what you may,
Spare but him that's far away.
On the seas and far away,
On stormy seas and far away;
Fate, do with me what you may,
Spare but him that's far away.

At the starless, midnight hour
When Winter rules with boundless
As the storms the forests tear,
And thunders rend the howling air,
Listening to the doubling roar,
Surging on the rocky shore,
All I can-I weep and pray
For his weal that's far away.
On the seas and far away,
On stormy seas and far away;
All I can-I weep and pray,
For his weal that's far away.

Peace, thy olive wand extend,
And bid wild War his ravage end,
Man with brother Man to meet,
And as a brother kindly greet;

power,

Then may heav'n with prosperous gales,

Fill my sailor's welcome sails;

Το

my arms their charge convey,

My dear lad that's far away.

On the seas and far away,

On stormy seas and far away;
To my arms their charge convey,
My dear lad that's far away.

CA' THE YOWES TO THE KNOWES

SECOND VERSION

Chorus.-Ca' the yowes to the knowes,

Ca' them where the heather grows,

Ca' them where the burnie rowes,
My bonie Dearie.

HARK the mavis' e'ening sang,
Sounding Clouden's woods amang;
Then a-faulding let us gang,

My bonie Dearie.

Ca' the yowes, &c.

We'll gae down by Clouden side,
Thro' the hazels, spreading wide,
O'er the waves that sweetly glide,
To the moon sae clearly.
Ca' the yowes, &c.

Yonder Clouden's silent towers,1
Where, at moonshine's midnight hours,
O'er the dewy-bending flowers,

Fairies dance sae cheery.

Ca' the yowes, &c.

Ghaist nor bogle shalt thou fear,

Thou'rt to Love and Heav'n sae dear,

Nocht of ill may come thee near;

My bonie Dearie.

Ca' the yowes, &c.

Fair and lovely as thou art,

Thou hast stown my very heart;

I can die—but canna part,

My bonie Dearie.

Ca' the yowes, &c.

1 An old ruin in a sweet situation at the confluence of the Clouden and the Nith.

-R. B.

SHE SAYS SHE LOES ME BEST OF A'

Tune "Oonagh's Waterfall."

SAE flaxen were her ringlets,

Her eyebrows of a darker hue,
Bewitchingly o'er-arching

Twa laughing e'en o' lovely blue;
Her smiling, sae wyling,

Wad make a wretch forget his woe;
What pleasure, what treasure,

Unto these rosy lips to grow!
Such was my Chloris' bonie face,
When first that bonie face I saw;
And aye my Chloris' dearest charm—
She says, she lo'es me best of a'.

Like harmony her motion,

Her pretty ankle is a spy,
Betraying fair proportion,

Wad make a saint forget the sky:
Sae warming, sae charming,

Her faultless form and gracefu' air;
Ilk feature-auld Nature

Declar'd that she could do nae mair:
Hers are the willing chains o' love,

By conquering Beauty's sovereign law;
And still my Chloris' dearest charm—
She says, she lo'es me best of a'.

Let others love the city,

And gaudy show, at sunny noon;

Gie me the lonely valley,

The dewy eve and rising moon,

Fair beaming, and streaming,

Her silver light the boughs amang;

While falling, recalling,

The amorous thrush concludes his sang;
There, dearest Chloris, wilt thou rove,
By wimpling burn and leafy shaw,
And hear my vows o' truth and love,
thou lo'es me best of a'.

And say,

TO DR. MAXWELL

On Miss Jessy Staig's recovery.

MAXWELL, if merit here you crave,

That merit I deny;

You save fair Jessie from the gravel-
An Angel could not die!

TO THE BEAUTIFUL MISS ELIZA J-N
On her Principles of Liberty and Equality.

How, Liberty! girl, can it be by thee nam'd?
Equality too! hussey, art not asham'd?

Free and Equal indeed, while mankind thou enchainest,
And over their hearts a proud Despot so reignest.

ON CHLORIS

Requesting me to give her a Sprig of Blossomed Thorn.

FROM the white-blossom'd sloe my dear Chloris requested
A sprig, her fair breast to adorn:

No, by Heavens! I exclaim'd, let me perish, if ever
I plant in that bosom a thorn!

ON SEEING MRS. KEMBLE IN YARICO

KEMBLE, thou cur'st my unbelief

Of Moses and his rod;

At Yarico's sweet note of grief

The rock with tears had flow'd.

EPIGRAM ON A COUNTRY LAIRD,

not quite so wise as Solomon.

BLESS Jesus Christ, O Cardoness,
With grateful, lifted eyes,
Who taught that not the soul alone,
But body too shall rise;

« IndietroContinua »