The Complete Works of Robert Burns Part 126

III.

I'll pu' the budding rose, When Phoebus peeps in view, For it's like a baumy kiss O' her sweet bonnie mou'; The hyacinth's for constancy, Wi' its unchanging blue-- And a' to be a posie To my ain dear May.

IV.

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.

V.

The hawthorn I will pu'

Wi' its locks o' siller gray, Where, like an aged man, It stands at break of day.

But the songster's nest within the bush I winna tak away-- And a' to be a posie To my ain dear May.

VI.

The woodbine I will pu'

When the e'ening star is near, And the diamond drops o' dew Shall be her e'en 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.

VII.

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 of life The band shall ne'er remove, And this will be a posie To my ain dear May.

CXXVIII.

COUNTRY La.s.sIE.

Tune--"_The Country La.s.s._"

[A ma.n.u.script copy before me, in the poet's handwriting, presents two or three immaterial variations of this dramatic song.]

I.

In simmer, when the hay was mawn, And corn wav'd green in ilka field, While claver blooms white o'er the lea, And roses blaw in ilka bield; Blithe Bessie in the milking shiel, Says--I'll be wed, come o't what will; Out spak a dame in wrinkled eild-- O' guid advis.e.m.e.nt comes nae ill.

II.

It's ye hae wooers mony ane, And, la.s.sie, ye're but young ye ken; Then wait a wee, and cannie wale, A routhie b.u.t.t, a routhie ben: There's Johnie o' the Buskie-glen, Fu' is his burn, fu' is his byre; Tak this frae me, my bonnie hen, It's plenty beets the luver's fire.

III.

For Johnie o' the Buskie-glen, I dinna care a single flie; He lo'es sae weel his c.r.a.ps and kye, He has nae luve to spare for me: But blithe's the blink o' Robie's e'e, And weel I wat he lo'es me dear: Ae blink o' him I wad nae gie For Buskie-glen and a' his gear.

IV.

O thoughtless la.s.sie, life's a faught; The canniest gate, the strife is sair; But ay fu' han't is fechtin best, An hungry care's an unco care: But some will spend, and some will spare, An' wilfu' folk maun hae their will; Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair, Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill.

V.

O, gear will buy me rigs o' land, And gear will buy me sheep and kye; But the tender heart o' leesome luve, The gowd and siller canna buy; We may be poor--Robie and I, Light is the burden luve lays on; Content and luve brings peace and joy-- What mair hae queens upon a throne?

CXXIX.

FAIR ELIZA.

_A Gaelic Air._

[The name of the heroine of this song was at first Rabina: but Johnson, the publisher, alarmed at admitting something new into verse, caused Eliza to be subst.i.tuted; which was a positive fraud; for Rabina was a real lady, and a lovely one, and Eliza one of air.]

I.

Turn again, thou fair Eliza, Ae kind blink before we part, Rue on thy despairing lover!

Canst thou break his faithfu' heart?

Turn again, thou fair Eliza; If to love thy heart denies, For pity hide the cruel sentence Under friendship's kind disguise!

II.

Thee, dear maid, hae I offended?

The offence is loving thee: Canst thou wreck his peace for ever, Wha for time wad gladly die?

While the life beats in my bosom, Thou shalt mix in ilka throe; Turn again, thou lovely maiden.

Ae sweet smile on me bestow.

III.

Not the bee upon the blossom, In the pride o' sunny noon; Not the little sporting fairy, All beneath the simmer moon; Not the poet, in the moment Fancy lightens in his e'e, Kens the pleasure, feels the rapture, That thy presence gies to me.

Cx.x.x.

YE JACOBITES BY NAME.

Tune--"_Ye Jacobites by name._"