Of tender tears a plentiful supply,
And pour them in the brooks that babbled by:
Taught by nice scale to mete her feelings strong,
False by degrees, and exquisitely wrong;
For the crushed beetle first, the widowed dove,
And all the warbled sorrows of the grove,
Next for poor suffering guilt,—and last of all,
For parents, friends, a king and country’s fall.
Mark her fair votaries, prodigal of grief,
With cureless pangs, and woes that mock
relief,
Droop in soft sorrow o’er a faded
flower,
O’er a dead jackass pour the pearly
shower:
But hear, unmoved, of Loire’s ensanguined
flood
Choked up with slain; of Lyons drenched
in blood;
Of crimes that blot the age, the world,
with shame,
Foul crimes, but sicklied o’er with
freedom’s name,—
Altars and thrones subverted, social life
Trampled to earth, the husband from the
wife,
Parent from child, with ruthless fury
torn;
Of talents, honour, virtue, wit, forlorn
In friendless exile; of the wise and good
Staining the daily scaffold with their
blood.
Of savage cruelties that scare the mind,
The rage of madness with hell’s
lusts combined,
Of hearts torn reeking from the mangled
breast,
They hear—and hope, that all
is for the best!
CAROLINA, LADY NAIRNE
THE LAND O’ THE LEAL
I’m wearin’ awa’, John,
Like snaw-wreaths in thaw, John,
I’m wearin’ awa’
To the land o’ the leal.
There’s nae sorrow there, John,
There’s neither cauld nor care,
John,
The day is aye fair
In the land o’ the leal.
Our bonnie bairn’s there, John,
She was baith gude and fair, John;
And oh! we grudged her sair
To the land o’ the leal.
But sorrow’s sel’ wears past,
John,
And joy’s a-comin’ fast, John,
The joy that’s aye to last
In the land o’ the leal.
Sae dear that joy was bought, John,
Sae free the battle fought, John,
That sinfu’ man e’er brought
To the land o’ the leal.
Oh! dry your glistening e’e, John,
My soul langs to be free, John,
And angels beckon me
To the land o’ the leal.
Oh! hand ye leal and true, John,
Your day it’s wearin’through,
John,
And I’ll welcome you
To the land o’ the leal.
Now fare-ye-weel, my ain John,
This warld’s cares are vain, John,
We’ll meet, and we’ll be fain.
In the land o’ the leal.
GLOSSARY:
A’, all.
Abeigh, off.
Aboon, above.
Abarde, went on.
Abread, abroad.
Acquent, acquainted.
Ae, one.
Aff, off.
Aften, often.
Agley, askew.
Aiblins, maybe.
Ain, own.