LADY ANNE BARNARD. But by thy honest turf I'll wait, Thou man of worth! And weep the ae best fellow's fate E'er lay in earth. at sea, And auld Robin Gray cam' a-courtin' me. My father couldna work, and my mother couldna spin; I toiled day and nicht, but their bread I couldna win; Auld Rob maintained them baith, and, wi' tears in his ee', Said, "Jeannie, for their sakes, will ye na marry me?" My heart it said nay, for I looked for Jamie back; But the wind it blew high, and the ship it was a wrack; The ship it was a wrack-why didna Jamie dee? Or why do I live to say, Wae's me? My father urged me sair: my mither didna speak; But she lookit in my face till my heart was like to break; They gied him my hand, though my heart was in the sea; And auld Robin Gray was gudeman to ine. I hadna been a wife a week but only four, When, mournfu' as I sat on the stane at my door, I saw my Jamie's wraith, for I couldna think it he, Till he said, "I'm come home, love, to marry thee." O, sair did we greet, and muckle say of a'! I gie'd him but ae kiss, and bade him gang awa': I wish I were dead! but I'm no like to dee; And why do I live to cry, Wae 's me? I gang like a ghaist, and I carena to spin; I daurna think on Jamie, for that wad be a sin; But I'll do my best a gude wife to be, For auld Robin Gray, he is kind to me. WILLIAM BLAKE. [1757-1827.] THE TIGER. TIGER! Tiger! burning bright, Burned the fire of thine eyes? And what shoulder, and what art, Could twist the sinews of thine heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? and what dread feet! What the hammer, what the chain? When the stars threw down their spears, Did he smile his work to see? Tiger Tiger! burning bright, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? TO THE MUSES. WHETHER on Ida's shady brow Or in the chambers of the East, The chambers of the sun, which now From ancient melodies have ceased; Whether in Heaven ye wander fair, Or the green corners of the earth, Or the blue regions of the air, Where the melodious winds have birth, Whether on crystal rocks ye rove, Beneath the bosom of the sea, How have you left the ancient lore I hear below the water roar, The mill wi' clacking din, O, no! sad and slow, These are nae sounds for me; I coft yestreen, frae chapman Tam, And promised, when our trysting cam', O, no! sad and slow, The mark it winna' pass; JOANNA BAILLIE. [1762-1831.] THE GOWAN GLITTERS ON THE THE gowan glitters on the sward, O, no! sad and slow, And lengthened on the ground; My sheep-bells tinkle frae the west, O, no! sad and slow, The shadow lingers still; LADY CAROLINE NAIRN. [1766-1845.] THE LAND O' THE LEAL. I'm wearin' awa', Jean, To the Land o' the Leal. In the Land o' the Leal. You've been leal and true, Jean, Your task is ended noo, Jean, And I'll welcome you To the Land o' the Leal. ROBERT BLOOMFIELD. Then dry that tearfu' ee, Jean; My soul langs to be free, Jean; And angels wait on me To the Land o' the Leal. Our bonnie bairn 's there, Jean, She was baith gude and fair, Jean, And we grudged her sair To the Land o' the Leal! But sorrow's self wears past, Jean, And joy's a comin' fast, Jean, The joy that's aye to last, In the Land of the Leal. A' our friends are gane, Jean; In the Land o' the Leal. In the Land o' the Leal. ROBERT BLOOMFIELD. [1766-1823.] THE SOLDIER'S RETURN. How sweet it was to breathe that cooler air, And take possession of my father's chair! Beneath my elbow, on the solid frame, Appeared the rough initials of my name, Cut forty years before! The same old clock Struck the same bell, and gave my heart a shock I never can forget. A short breeze sprung, And while a sigh was trembling on my tongue, Caught the old dangling almanacs behind, And up they flew like banners in the wind; Then gently, singly, down, down, down they went, And told of twenty years that I had spent Far from my native land. That instant came A robin on the threshold; though so tame, 87 One bespoke age, and one a child's appeared. In stepped my father with convulsive start, And in an instant clasped me to his heart. Close by him stood a little blue-eyed maid; And stooping to the child, the old man said, "Come hither, Nancy, kiss me once again; This is your uncle Charles, come home from Spain." The child approached, and with her fingers light Stroked my old eyes, almost deprived of sight. But why thus spin my tale,—thus tedious be? Happy cld soldier! what's the world to me? |