Delphi Complete Works of Robert Burns (Illustrated) (Delphi Poets Series) (78 page)
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Authors: Robert Burns
492.
Dialogue Song — Philly and Willy
Tune
— “The Sow’s tail to Geordie.”
He.
O PHILLY, happy be that day,
When roving thro’ the gather’d hay,
My youthfu’ heart was stown away,
And by thy charms, my Philly.
She.
O Willy, aye I bless the grove
5
Where first I own’d my maiden love,
Whilst thou did pledge the Powers above,
To be my ain dear Willy.
Both.
For a’ the joys that gowd can gie,
I dinna care a single flie;
10
The { lad lass } I love’s the { lad lass } for me,
And that’s my ain dear { Willy. Philly. }
He.
As songsters of the early year,
Are ilka day mair sweet to hear,
So ilka day to me mair dear
15
And charming is my Philly.
She.
As on the brier the budding rose,
Still richer breathes and fairer blows,
So in my tender bosom grows
The love I bear my Willy.
20
Both.
For a’ the joys, &c.
He.
The milder sun and bluer sky
That crown my harvest cares wi’ joy,
Were ne’er sae welcome to my eye
As is a sight o’ Philly.
25
She.
The little swallow’s wanton wing,
Tho’ wafting o’er the flowery Spring,
Did ne’er to me sic tidings bring,
As meeting o’ my Willy.
Both.
For a’ the joys, &c.
30
He.
The bee that thro’ the sunny hour
Sips nectar in the op’ning flower,
Compar’d wi’ my delight is poor,
Upon the lips o’ Philly.
She.
The woodbine in the dewy weet,
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When ev’ning shades in silence meet,
Is nocht sae fragrant or sae sweet
As is a kiss o’ Willy.
Both.
For a’ the joys, &c.
He.
Let fortune’s wheel at random rin,
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And fools may tine and knaves may win;
My thoughts are a’ bound up in ane,
And that’s my ain dear Philly.
She.
What’s a’ the joys that gowd can gie?
I dinna care a single flie;
45
The lad I love’s the lad for me,
And that’s my ain dear Willy.
Both.
For a’ the joys, &c.
493.
Contented wi’ little, and cantie wi’ mair (Song)
Tune
— “Lumps o’ Puddin’.”
CONTENTED wi’ little, and cantie wi’ mair,
Whene’er I forgather wi’ Sorrow and Care,
I gie them a skelp as they’re creeping alang,
Wi’ a cog o’ gude swats and an auld Scottish sang.
Chorus.
— Contented wi’ little, &c.
5
I whiles claw the elbow o’ troublesome thought;
But Man is a soger, and Life is a faught;
My mirth and gude humour are coin in my pouch,
And my Freedom’s my Lairdship nae monarch dare touch.
Contented wi’ little, &c.
10
A townmond o’ trouble, should that be may fa’,
A night o’ gude fellowship sowthers it a’:
When at the blythe end o’ our journey at last,
Wha the deil ever thinks o’ the road he has past?
Contented wi’ little, &c.
15
Blind Chance, let her snapper and stoyte on her way;
Be’t to me, be’t frae me, e’en let the jade gae:
Come Ease, or come Travail, come Pleasure or Pain,
My warst word is: “Welcome, and welcome again!”
Contented wi’ little, &c.
20
494.
Farewell thou stream that winding flows (Song)
Air
— “Nansie’s to the greenwood gane.”
FAREWELL, thou stream that winding flows
Around Eliza’s dwelling;
O mem’ry! spare the cruel thoes
Within my bosom swelling.
Condemn’d to drag a hopeless chain
5
And yet in secret languish;
To feel a fire in every vein,
Nor dare disclose my anguish.
Love’s veriest wretch, unseen, unknown,
I fain my griefs would cover;
10
The bursting sigh, th’ unweeting groan,
Betray the hapless lover.
I know thou doom’st me to despair,
Nor wilt, nor canst relieve me;
But, O Eliza, hear one prayer —
15
For pity’s sake forgive me!
The music of thy voice I heard,
Nor wist while it enslav’d me;
I saw thine eyes, yet nothing fear’d,
Till fears no more had sav’d me:
20
Th’ unwary sailor thus, aghast
The wheeling torrent viewing,
‘Mid circling horrors sinks at last,
In overwhelming ruin.
495.
Canst thou leave me thus, my Katie (Song)
Tune
— “Roy’s Wife.”
Chorus
— Canst thou leave me thus, my Katie?
Canst thou leave me thus, my Katie?
Well thou know’st my aching heart,
And canst thou leave me thus, for pity?
IS this thy plighted, fond regard,
5
Thus cruelly to part, my Katie?
Is this thy faithful swain’s reward —
An aching, broken heart, my Katie!
Canst thou leave me, &c.
Farewell! and ne’er such sorrows tear
10
That finkle heart of thine, my Katie!
Thou maysn find those will love thee dear,
But not a love like mine, my Katie,
Canst thou leave me, &c.
496.
Tune
— “There’ll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.”
NOW in her green mantle blythe Nature arrays,
And listens the lambkins that bleat o’er her braes;
While birds warble welcomes in ilka green shaw,
But to me it’s delightless — my Nanie’s awa.
The snawdrap and primrose our woodlands adorn,
5
And violetes bathe in the weet o’ the morn;
They pain my sad bosom, sae sweetly they blaw,
They mind me o’ Nanie — and Nanie’s awa.
Thou lav’rock that springs frae the dews of the lawn,
The shepherd to warn o’ the grey-breaking dawn,
10
And thou mellow mavis that hails the night-fa’,
Give over for pity — my Nanie’s awa.
Come Autumn, sae pensive, in yellow and grey,
And soothe me wi’ tidings o’ Nature’s decay:
The dark, dreary Winter, and wild-driving snaw
15
Alane can delight me — now Nanie’s awa.
497.
The Tear-drop— “Wae is my heart” (Song)
WAE is my heart, and the tear’s in my e’e;
Lang, lang has Joy been a stranger to me:
Forsaken and friendless, my burden I bear,
And the sweet voice o’ Pity ne’er sounds in my ear.
Love thou hast pleasures, and deep hae I luv’d;
5
Love, thou hast sorrows, and sair hae I pruv’d;
But this bruisèd heart that now bleeds in my breast,
I can feel, by its throbbings, will soon be at rest.
Oh, if I were — where happy I hae been —
Down by yon stream, and yon bonie castle-green;
10
For there he is wand’ring and musing on me,
Wha wad soon dry the tear-drop that clings to my e’e.
498.
For the sake o’ Somebody (Song)
MY heart is sair — I dare na tell,
My heart is sair for Somebody;
I could wake a winter night
For the sake o’ Somebody.
O-hon! for Somebody!
5
O-hey! for Somebody!
I could range the world around,
For the sake o’ Somebody.
Ye Powers that smile on virtuous love,
O, sweetly smile on Somebody!
10
Frae ilka danger keep him free,
And send me safe my Somebody!
O-hon! for Somebody!
O-hey! for Somebody!
I wad do — what wad I not?
15
For the sake o’ Somebody.
499.
A Man’s a Man for a’ that (Song)
Tune
— “For a’ that.”
IS there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that.
5
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an’ a that;
10
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man’s a Man for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that;
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,
15
Is king o’ men for a’ that.
Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that:
20
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that:
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
25
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that;
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The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.
Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a’ that,)
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
35
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.
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