THE YOUNG HIGHLAND ROVER.
LOUD blaw the frosty breezes, The snaw the mountains cover; Like winter on me seizes,
Since my young Highland Rover Far wanders nations over. Where'er he go, where'er he stray, May Heaven be his warden; Return him safe to fair Strathspey And bonnie Castle-Gordon!
The trees now naked groaning, Shall soon wi' leaves be hinging, The birdies dowie moaning, Shall a' be blithely singing, And every flower be springing. Sae I'll rejoice the lee-lang day, When by his mighty warden My youth's returned to fair Strathspey And bonnie Castle-Gordon.
Tune-"The Dusty Miller."
HEY, the dusty miller, And his dusty coat; He will win a shilling, Or he spend a groat. Dusty was the coat, Dusty was the colour, Dusty was the kiss I got frae the miller.
Hey, the dusty miller, And his dusty sack; Leeze me on the calling Fills the dusty peck. Fills the dusty peck, Brings the dusty siller; I wad gi'e my coatie For the dusty miller.
1 Prince Charles Edward.
As I came in by our gate end, As day was waxin' weary,
O wha came tripping down the street, But bonnie Peg, my dearie!
Her air sae sweet, and shape complete, Wi' nae proportion wanting, The Queen of Love did never move Wi' motion mair enchanting.
Wi' linked hands, we took the sands Adown yon winding river;
And, oh! that hour and broomy bower, Can I forget it ever?
THERE was a lass, they ca'd her Meg, And she held o'er the moors to spin; There was a lad that followed her, They ca'd him Duncan Davison.
The moor was dreigh,' and Meg was skeigh,' Her favour Duncan could na win; For wi' the rock she wad him knock, And aye she shook the temper-pin.
As o'er the moor they lightly foor,3
A burn was clear, a glen was green, Upon the banks they eased their shanks, And aye she set the wheel between : But Duncan swore a haly aith,
That Meg should be a bride the morn; Then Meg took up her spinnin' graith,* And flang them a' out o'er the burn.
We'll big a house-a wee, wee house, And we will live like king and queen; Sae blythe and merry we will be When ye set by the wheel at e'en
A man may drink and no be drunk; A man may fight and no be slain; A man may kiss a bonnie lass,
And aye be welcome back again.
WHEN first I began for to sigh and to woo her, Of many fine things I did say a great deal, But, above all the rest, that which pleased her the best, Was, oh! will you marry me, Shelah O'Neil ? My point I soon carried, for straight we were married, Then the weight of my burden I soon 'gan to feel,-
For she scolded, she fisted-O then I enlisted,
Left Ireland, and whiskey, and Shelah O'Neil.
Then tired and dull-hearted, O then I deserted, And fled into regions far distant from home, To Frederick's army, where none e'er could harm me, Save Shelah herself in the shape of a bomb.
I fought every battle, where cannons did rattle,
Felt sharp shot, alas! and the sharp-pointed steel; But, in all my wars round, thank my stars, I ne'er found Ought so sharp as the tongue of cursed Shelah O'Neil.
We lap and danced the lee-lang day, Till piper lads were wae an' weary; But Charlie gat the spring2 to pay, For kissin' Theniel's bonnie Mary. Theniel Menzie's bonnie Mary, Theniel Menzie's bonnie Mary; Charlie Gregor tint his plaidie, Kissin' Theniel's bonnie Mary.
THE BANKS OF THE DEVON.3 Tune-"Bhannerach dhon na chri."
How pleasant the banks of the clear-winding Devon, With green-spreading bushes and flowers blooming fair!
But the bonniest flower on the banks of the Devon Was once a sweet bud on the braes of the Ayr. Mild be the sun on this sweet blushing flower, In the gay rosy morn, as it bathes in the dew! And gentle the fall of the soft vernal shower,
That steals on the evening each leaf to renew. O spare the dear blossoms, ye orient breezes,
With chill hoary wing, as ye usher the dawn! And far be thou distant, thou reptile that seizes The verdure and pride of the garden and lawn! Let Bourbon exult in his gay gilded lilies,
And England, triumphant, display her proud rose: A fairer than either adorns the green valleys
Where Devon, sweet Devon, meandering flows.
THERE'LL NEVER BE PEACE TILL JAMIE COMES HAME.
[You must know a beautiful Jacobite air, "There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame." When political combustion ceases to be the object of princes and patriots, it then, you know, becomes the lawful prey of historians and poets.-BURNS.]
Tune-"There are few guid fellows when Willie's awa'."
By yon castle wa', at the close of the day,
I heard a man sing, though his head it was grey; And as he was singing, the tears fast down came- There 'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.
3 This song was composed on Charlotte Hamilton, a beautiful girl, the sister of the Poet's friend, Gavin Hamilton.
YE HA'E LIEN WRANG, LASSIE.
The Church is in ruins, the State is in jars, Delusions, oppressions, and murderous wars: We dare na' weel say 't, but we ken wha's to blame- There 'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.
My seven braw sons for Jamie drew sword,
And now I greet' round their green beds in the yird:" It brak the sweet heart o' my faithfu' auld dame- There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.
Now life is a burden that bows me down, Sin' I tint my bairns, and he tint his crown; But till my last moment my words are the same- There 'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.
YE HA'E LIEN WRANG, LASSIE.
1 Weep. 4 Strange. 7 Hills.
Ye've lien a' wrang;
Ye've lien in an unco bed, And wi' a fremit 5 man.
Your rosy cheeks are turned sae wan, Ye're greener than the grass, lassie ! Your coatie's shorter by a span, Yet ne'er an inch the less, lassie.
O, lassie, ye ha'e played the fool, And ye will feel the scorn, lassie, For aye the brose ye sup at e'en
Ye bock them e'er the morn, lassie.
O, ance ye danced upon the knowes,7 And through the wood ye sang, lassic, But in the herrying o' a bee byke, I fear ye 've got a stang, lassie. Ye ha'e lien a' wrang, lassie, Ye've lien a' wrang; Ye've lien in an unco bed, And wi' a fremit man.
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