Say, fluttering fairy! wer't thy hap
To light beneath braw NANNY's cap,
Wad she, proud butterfly of May!
In pity lat you skaithless stay?
The furies glancin frae her ein
Wad rug your wings o' siller sheen,
That, wae for thee! far, far outvy
Her PARIS ARTIST's finest dye;
Then a' your bouny spraings wad fall,
An' you a woRM be left to crawl.
To sic mishanter rins the laird
Wha quats his ha'-house and kail-yard,
Grows politician, scours to court,
Whare he's the laughing-stock and sport
O' MINISTERS, wha jeer an' jibe,
An' heeze his hopes wi' thought o' bribe,
Till in the end they flae him bare,
Leave him to poortith, and to care.
Their fleetchin words owr late he sees,
He trudges hame, repines, and dies.
Sic be their fa' wha dirk thir ben
In blackest business nae their ain;
An' may they scad their lips fu' leal,
That dip their spoons in ither's kail.
FRAE fields where SPRING her sweets has
Wi' caller verdure owr the lawn,
The GOWDSPINK comes in new attire,
The brawest 'mang the whistling choir,
That, 'ere the sun can clear his ein,
Wi' glib notes sane the simmer's green.
Sure NATURE herried mony a tree,
For spraings and bonny spats to thee:
Nae mair the Rainbow can impart
Sic glowing ferlics o' her art,
Whase pencil wrought its freaks at will
On thee, the sey-piece o' her skill.
Nae mair thro' Straths in simmer dight
We seek the ROSE to bless our sight;
Or bid the bonny wa'-flowers sprout
On yonder RUIN's lofty snout.
Thy shining garments far outstrip
The cherries upo' HEBE's lip,
And fool the tints that Nature chose
To busk and paint the crimson rose.
'Mang men, wa'es-heart! we aften find
The brawest drest want peace o' mind,
While he that gangs wi' ragged coat
Is weel contentit wi' his lot.
Whan WAND wi' glewy birdlime's set,
To steal far aff your dautit mate,
Blyth wad ye change your cleething gay
In lieu of lav'rock's sober gray.
In vain thro' woods you sair may ban
The envious treachery of man,
That wi' your gowden glister taʼen,
Still hunts you on the simmer's plain,
And traps you 'mang the sudden fa's
O' winter's dreery dreepin snaws.
Now steekit frae the gowany field,
Frae ilka fav'rite houff and bield,
But mergh, alas! to disengage
Your bonny buik frae fettering cage,
Your free-born bosom beats in vain
For darling liberty again.
In WINDOW hung, how aft we see
Thee keek around at warblers free,
That carrol saft, and sweetly sing
Wi' a' the blytheness o' the spring?
Like TANTALUS they hing you here
To spy the glories o' the year;
And tho' you're at the burnie's brink,
They douna suffer you to drink.
Ah, Liberty! thou bonny dame,
How wildly wanton is thy stream,
Round whilk the birdies a' rojoice,
An' hail you wi' a gratefu' voice.
The Gowdspink chatters joyous here,
And courts wi' gleesome sangs his peer:
The MAVIS frae the new-bloom'd thorn
Begins his lauds at earest morn;
And herd lowns loupin o'er the grass
Needs far less fleetching till his lass,
Then paughty damsels bred at courts,
Wha thraw their mou's, and take the dorts;
But, reft of thee fient flee we care
For a' that life a hint can spare.
The Gowdspink, that sae lang has kend
The happy sweets (his wonted friend,)
Her sad confinement ill can brook
In some dark chaumer's dowy nook:
Tho' MARY's hand his nebb supplies,
Unkend to hunger's painfu' cries,
Ev'n beauty canna cheer the heart
Frae life, frae liberty apart;
For now we tyne its wonted lay,
Sae lightsome sweet, sae blythly gay.
Thus FORTUNE aft a curse can gie,
To wyle us far frae liberty;
Then tent her syren smiles wha list,
I'll ne'er envy your GIRNEL's grist;
For whan fair freedom smiles nae mair,
Care I for life? Shame fa' the hair ;
A FIELD o'ergrown wi' rankest stubble,
The essence o' a paltry bubble.
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