o sweetly, soundly, weel may he sleep
that's laid in the bed beyond thee!
i see the spreading leaves and flowers,
i hear the wild birds singing;
but pleasure they hae nane for me,
while care my heart is wringing.
beyond thee, c.
i can na tell, i maun na tell,
i daur na for your anger;
but secret love will break my heart,
if i conceal it langer.
beyond thee, c.
i see thee gracefu', straight and tall,
i see thee sweet and bonie;
but oh, what will my torment be,
if thou refuse thy johnie!
beyond thee, c.
to see thee in another's arms,
in love to lie and languish,
'twad be my dead, that will be seen,
my heart wad burst wi' anguish.
beyond thee, c.
but jeanie, say thou wilt be mine,
say thou lo'es nane before me;
and a' may days o' life toe
i'l gratefully adore thee,
beyond thee, c.
the bonie wee thing
chorus.—bonie wee thing, cannie wee thing,
lovely wee thing, wert thou mine,
i wad wear thee in my bosom,
lest my jewel it should tine.
wishfully i look and languish
in that bonie face o' thine,
and my heart it stounds wi' anguish,
lest my wee thing be na mine.
bonie wee thing, c.
wit, and grace, and love, and beauty,
in ae constellation shine;
to adore thee is my duty,
goddess o' this soul o' mine!
bonie wee thing, c.
Poems and Songs of Robert Burns epigram on miss davies epigram on miss davies
on being asked why she had been formed so little, and mrs. a—so big.
ask why god made the gem so small?
and why so huge the granite?—
because god meant mankind should set
that higher value on it.
Poems and Songs of Robert Burns the charms of lovely davies the charms of lovely davies
tune—“miss muir.”
o how shall i, unskilfu', try
the poet's occupation?
the tunefu' powers, in happy hours,
that whisper inspiration;
even they maun dare an effort mair
than aught they ever gave us,
ere they rehearse, in equal verse,
the charms o' lovely davies.
each eye it cheers when she appears,
like phoebus in the morning,
when past the shower, and every flower
the garden is adorning:
as the wretch looks o'er siberia's shore,
when winter-bound the wave is;
sae droops our heart, when we maun part
frae charming, lovely davies.
her smile's a gift frae 'boon the lift,
that maks us mair than princes;
a sceptred hand, a king'smand,
is in her darting glances;
the man in arms 'gainst female charms
even he her willing slave is,
he hugs his chain, and owns the reign
of conquering, lovely davies.
my muse, to dream of such a theme,
her feeble powers surrender:
the eagle's gaze alone surveys
the sun's meridian splendour.
i wad in vain essay the strain,
the deed too daring brave is;
i'll drap the lyre, and mute admire
the charms o' lovely davies.
Poems and Songs of Robert Burns what can a young lassie do wi an auld man what can a young lassie do wi' an auld man
what can a young lassie, what shall a young lassie,
what can a young lassie do wi' an auld man?
bad luck on the penny that tempted my minnie
to sell her puir jenny for siller an' lan'.
bad luck on the penny that tempted my minnie
to sell her puir jenny for siller an' lan'!
he's alwayspleenin' frae mornin' to e'enin',
he hoasts and he hirples the weary day lang;
he's doylt and he's dozin, his blude it is frozen,—
o, dreary's the night wi' a craauld man!
he's doylt and he's dozin, his blude it is frozen,
o, dreary's the night wi' a craauld man.
he hums and he hankers, he frets and he cankers,
i never can please him do a' that i can;
he's peevish an' jealous o' a' the young fellows,—
o, dool on the day i met wi' an auld man!
he's peevish an' jealous o' a' the young fellows,
o, dool on the day i met wi' an auld man.
my auld auntie katie upon me taks pity,
i'll do my endeavour to follow her plan;
i'll cross him an' wrack him, until i heartbreak him
and then his auld brass will buy me a new pan,
i'll cross him an' wrack him, until i heartbreak him,
and then his auld brass will buy me a new pan.
Poems and Songs of Robert Burns the posie the posie
o luve will venture in where it daur na weel be seen,
o luve will venture in where wisdom ance has been;
but i will doun yon river rove, amang the wood sae green,
and a' to pu' a posie to my ain dear may.
the primrose i will pu', the firstling o' the year,
and i will pu' the pink, the emblem o' my dear;
for she's the pink o' womankind, and blooms without a peer,
and a' to be a posie to my ain dear may.
i'll pu' the budding rose, when phoebus peeps in view,
for it's like a baumy kiss o' her sweet, bonie mou;
the hyacinth's for constancy wi' its unchanging blue,
and a' to be a posie to my ain dear may.
the lily it is pure, and the lily it is fair,
and in her lovely bosom i'll place the lily there;
the daisy's for simplicity and unaffected air,
and a' to be a posie to my ain dear may.
the hawthorn i will pu', wi' its locks o' siller gray,
where, like an aged man, it stands at break o' day;
but the songster's nest within the bush i winna tak away
and a' to be a posie to my ain dear may.
the woodbine i will pu', when the e'ening star is near,
and the diamond draps o' dew shall be her een sae clear;
the violet's for modesty, which weel she fa's to wear,
and a' to be a posie to my ain dear may.
i'll tie the posie round wi' the silken band o' luve,
and i'll place it in her breast, and i'll swear by a' above,
that to my latest draught o' life the band shall ne'er remove,
and this will be a posie to my ain dear may.
Poems and Songs of Robert Burns on glenriddells fox breaking his chain on glenriddell's fox breaking his chain
a fragment, 1791.
thou, liberty, thou art my theme;
not such as idle poets dream,
who trick thee up a heathen goddess
that a fantastic cap and rod has;
such stale conceits are poor and silly;
i paint thee out, a highland filly,
a sturdy, stubborn, handsome dapple,
as sleek's a mouse, as round's an apple,
that when thou pleasest canst do wonders;
but when thy luckless rider blunders,
or if thy fancy should demur there,
wilt break thy neck ere thou go further.
these things premised, i sing a fox,
was caught among his native rocks,
and to a dirty kennel chained,
how he his liberty regained.
glenriddell! whig without a stain,
a whig in principle and grain,
could'st thou enslave a free-born creature,
a native denizen of nature?
how could'st thou, with a heart so good,
(a better ne'er was sluiced with blood!)
nail a poor devil to a tree,
that ne'er did harm to thine or thee?
the staunchest whig glenriddell was,
quite frantic in his country's cause;
and oft was reynard's prison passing,
and with his brother-whigs canvassing
the rights of men, the powers of women,
with all the dignity of freemen.
sir reynard daily heard debates
of princes', kings', and nations' fates,
with many rueful, bloody stories
of tyrants, jacobites, and tories:
from liberty how angels fell,
that now are galley-slaves in hell;