JOANNA BAILLIE (1762-1851) From THE BEACON 1812 FISHERMAN'S SONG No fish stir in our heaving net, And the sky is dark and the night is wet; And we must ply the lusty oar, For the tide is ebbing from the shore; 5 And sad are they whose faggots burn, So kindly stored for our return. Our boat is small, and the tempest raves, And naught is heard but the lashing waves And the sullen roar of the angry sea 10 And the wild winds piping drearily; Yet sea and tempest rise in vain, We'll bless our blazing hearths again. Push bravely, mates! Our guiding star Now from its towerlet streameth far, 15 And now along the nearing strand, See, swiftly moves yon flaming brand: Before the midnight watch be past We'll quaff our bowl and mock the blast. 10 WOO'D AND MARRIED AND A' 1822 The bride she is winsome and bonny, Woo'd and married and a'! To be woo'd and married at a'? Her mither then hastily spak, "The lassie is glaikit1 wi' pride; 15 In my pouch I had never a plack 20 30 35 40 45 50 She's ta'en like a cout1 frae the heather, The chiel2 maun3 be patient and steady A kerchief sae douce and sae neat I'm baith like to laugh and to greet When I think of her married at a'!'' Then out spak the wily bridegroom, Though thy ruffles or ribbons be few, Than if Kate o' the Croft were my bride Wi' purfles and pearlins enow. Dear and dearest of ony! Ye're woo'd and buikits and a'! And do ye think scorn o' your Johnny, And grieve to be married at a'?" She turn'd, and she blush'd, and she smiled, And she looked sae bashfully down; The pride o' her heart was beguiled, And she played wi' the sleeves o' her gown. 10 A SCOTCH SONG The gowan12 glitters on the sward, And collie on my plaid keeps ward, And time is passing by. Oh no! sad and slow. And lengthened on the ground, My sheep-bell tinkles frae the west, But still the sound that I lo'e best, 1 colt 2 fellow 3 must 4 tidy $ chosen 6 empty 7 trimmings 20 een, The lovely lass of Preston Mill. Quo' I, "Sweet lass, will ye gang wi' me, Six hills are woolly wi' my sheep, She hung her head like a dew-bent rose,- 25 Quo' I, "Sweet maiden, look nae down, 30 “I hae a lad, wha's far awa', That weel could win a woman's will; Quo' the lovely lass of Preston Mill. "Now wha is he wha could leave sic a lass, To seek for love in a far countree?"35 Her tears drapped down like simmer dew; I fain wad kissed them frae her ee. I took but ane o' her comely cheek; "For pity's sake, kind sir, be still! My heart is fu' o' other love," 40 Quo' the lovely lass of Preston Mill. She stretched to heaven her twa white hands, And lifted up her watery ee: "Sae lang's my heart kens aught o' God, Or light is gladsome to my ee; 45 While woods grow green, and burns rin 10 And cauld at my feet, And the finger o' death's at my een, Closing them to sleep. Let nane tell my father, Or my mither sae dear: I'll meet them baith in heaven At the spring o' the year. When the kye comes hame, When the kye comes hame, "Tween the gloaming and the mirk,1 When the kye comes hame. "Tis not beneath the coronet, 15 'Tis not on couch of velvet, 20 25 30 When the kye comes hame, etc. There the blackbird bigs her nest Oh, a happy bird is he; Where he pours his melting ditty, And love is a' the theme, When the kye comes hame, etc. When the blewart bears a pearl, 35 Then the laverock' frae the blue lifts 40 See yonder pawkie" shepherd, 45 50 When the kye comes hame, etc. When the little wee bit heart An' the little wee bit starn11 50 The land of vision, it would seem, A still, an everlasting dream. In yon green wood there is a waik,1 And in that wene there is a maike;8 55 That neither has flesh, nor blood, nor bane; And down in yon greenwood he walks his lane.* In that green wene Kilmeny lay, Her bosom hap'd' wi' flowerets gay; But the air was soft, and the silence deep, 60 And bonny Kilmeny fell sound asleep. She kenned nae mair, nor open'd her ee, Till wak'd by the hymns of a far countrye. She woke on a couch of silk sae slim, All striped wi' the bars of the rainbow's rim; 65 And lovely beings round were rife, Who erst had travelled mortal life; |