Lines on the Commemoration of Rodney's
Victory.1
INSTEAD of a song, boys, I'll give you a toast;
Here's to the memory of those we have lost!-
That we lost, did I say?-nay, by Heav'n, that we found;
For their fame it will last while the world goes round.
The next in succession I'll give you's THE KING!
Whoe'er would betray him, on high may he swing!
And here's the grand fabric, the free CONSTITUTION,
As built on the base of our great Revolution!
And longer with Politics not to be cramm'd,
Be ANARCHY curs'd, and be TYRANNY damn'd!
And who would to LIBERTY e'er prove disloyal,
May his son be a hangman—and himself his first trial!
Kirk and State Excisemen.
YE men of wit and wealth, why all this sneering
'Gainst poor Excisemen? Give the cause a hearing:
What are your Landlord's rent-rolls?-taxing ledgers!
What Premiers ?-what ev'n Monarchs ?-mighty Gaugers?
Nay, what are Priests? (those seeming godly wise-men,)
What are they, pray, but Spiritual Excisemen!
The Raptures of Folly.
THOU greybeard, old Wisdom! may boast of thy treasures;
Give me with old Folly to live;
I grant thee thy calm-blooded, time-settled pleasures,
But Folly has raptures to give.
1 Burns occasionally "hedged," or occasionally changed his political humour, hence these verses.
* Burns's defence of his much maligned
calling. Written on a tavern windowpane.
3 Engraved on a tavern window-pane.
Extempore reply to an Invitation.1
THE King's most humble servant, I
Can scarcely spare a minute;
But I'll be wi' you by an' by;
Or else the Deil's be in it.
Grace after Meat.
LORD, we thank, and thee adore,
For temporal gifts we little merit;
At present we will ask no more-
Let William Hislop give the spirit.
Grace before and after Meat.
O LORD, when hunger pinches sore,
Do thou stand us in stead,
And send us, from thy bounteous store,
A tup or wether head! Amen.
O LORD, since we have feasted thus,
Which we so little merit,
Let Meg now take away the flesh,
And Jock bring in the spirit! Amen.
Impromptu on General Dumourier's
Desertion from the French
Republican Army.2
YOU'RE Welcome to Despots, Dumourier;
You're welcome to Despots, Dumourier:
How does Dampiere do?
Ay, and Bournonville too?
Why did they not come along with you, Dumourier?
These three pieces are connected with anecdotage not worthy of record.
2 Dumourier changed sides in April 5th, 1793. As usual Burns had a model in an old ditty. On April 13th, 1793,
Burns informed Mr Erskine of Marr, that he had nearly lost his gaugership by his politics, as reported to his official superiors.
I will fight France with you, Dumourier;
I will fight France with you, Dumourier;
I will fight France with you,
I will take my chance with you
By my soul, I'll dance with you, Dumourier.
Then let us fight about, Dumourier;
Then let us fight about, Dumourier;
Then let us fight about,
Till Freedom's spark be out,
Then we'll be d-d, no doubt, Dumourier.
The Last Time I came o'er the Moor.1
THE last time I came o'er the moor,
And left Maria's dwelling,
What throes, what tortures passing cure,
Were in my bosom swelling:
Condemn'd to see my rival's reign,
While I in secret languish ;
To feel a fire in every vein,
Yet dare not speak my anguish.
Love's veriest wretch, despairing, I
Fain, fain, my crime would cover:
Th' unweeting groan, the bursting sigh,
Betray the guilty lover.
I know my doom must be despair,
Thou wilt nor canst relieve me;
But oh, Maria, hear my prayer,
For Pity's sake, forgive me!
The music of thy tongue I heard,
Nor wist while it enslav'd me;
I saw thine eyes, yet nothing fear'd,
Till fear no more had sav'd me:
1 Mrs Riddell, with whom Burns quarrelled later, inspired this lyric. The "rival of the "guilty lover," is, of course, Mr Riddell,
A later version is that beginning"Farewell, thou stream that winding flows,"
The unwary sailor thus, aghast,
The wheeling torrent viewing,
'Mid circling horrors yields at last
To overwhelming ruin.
Blythe hae I been on yon hill.1
Tune-"The Quaker's Wife."
BLYTHE hae I been on yon hill,
As the lambs before me;
Careless ilka thought and free,
As the breeze flew o'er me;
Now nae langer sport and play,
Mirth or sang can please me;
LESLEY is sae fair and coy,
Care and anguish seize me.
Heavy, heavy is the task,
Hopeless love declaring;
Trembling, I dow nocht but glow'r,*
Sighing, dumb despairing
If she winna ease the thraws b
In my bosom swelling,
Underneath the grass-green sod,
Soon maun be my dwelling.
Logan Braes.2
Tune-"Logan Water."
O LOGAN, Sweetly didst thou glide,
That day I was my Willie's bride,
And years sin syne hae o'er us run,
Like Logan to the simmer sun:
But now thy flowery banks appear
Like drumlie Winter, dark and drear,
While my dear lad maun face his faes,
Far, far frae me and Logan braes.
Again the merry month of May
Has made our hills and valleys gay;
The birds rejoice in leafy bowers,
The bees hum round the breathing flowers;
Blythe Morning lifts his rosy eye,
And Evening's tears are tears o' joy:
My soul, delightless a' surveys,
While Willie's far frae Logan braes.
Within yon milk-white hawthorn bush,
Amang her nestlings sits the thrush:
Her faithfu' mate will share her toil,
Or wi' his song her cares beguile;
But I wi' my sweet nurslings here,
Nae mate to help, nae mate to cheer,
Pass widow'd nights and joyless days,
While Willie's far frae Logan braes.
O wae be to you, Men o' State,
That brethren rouse in deadly hate!
As ye make mony a fond heart mourn,
Sae may it on your heads return!
How can your flinty hearts enjoy
The widow's tear, the orphan's cry?1
But soon may peace bring happy days,
And Willie hame to Logan braes!
O were my Love yon Lilac fair.2
Air-" Hughie Graham."
O WERE My love yon Lilac fair,
Wi' purple blossoms to the Spring,
And I, a bird to shelter there,
When wearied on my little wing!
1 This couplet originally ran
"Ye mindna 'mid your cruel joys,
The widow's tears, the orphan's cries;"
2 The second and by far the more beautiful verse is ancient. The general idea is as old as poetry.
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