Now farewell light,
thou sunshine bright,
And all beneath the
sky!
May coward shame distain
his name,
The wretch that dares
not die!
Sae rantingly, &c.
Stay My Charmer
Tune—“An gille dubh ciar-dhubh.”
Stay my charmer, can
you leave me?
Cruel, cruel to deceive
me;
Well you know how much
you grieve me;
Cruel charmer, can you
go!
Cruel charmer, can you
go!
By my love so ill-requited,
By the faith you fondly
plighted,
By the pangs of lovers
slighted,
Do not, do not liave
me so!
Do not, do not leave
me so!
Song—My Hoggie
What will I do gin my
Hoggie die?
My joy, my pride, my
Hoggie!
My only beast, I had
nae mae,
And vow but I was vogie!
The lee-lang night we
watch’d the fauld,
Me and my faithfu’
doggie;
We heard nocht but the
roaring linn,
Amang the braes sae
scroggie.
But the houlet cry’d
frau the castle wa’,
The blitter frae the
boggie;
The tod reply’d
upon the hill,
I trembled for my Hoggie.
When day did daw, and
cocks did craw,
The morning it was foggie;
An unco tyke, lap o’er
the dyke,
And maist has kill’d
my Hoggie!
Raving Winds Around Her Blowing
Tune—“M’Grigor of Roro’s Lament.”
I composed these verses on Miss Isabella M’Leod of Raza, alluding to her feelings on the death of her sister, and the still more melancholy death of her sister’s husband, the late Earl of Loudoun, who shot himself out of sheer heart-break at some mortifications he suffered, owing to the deranged state of his finances.—R.B., 1971.
Raving winds around
her blowing,
Yellow leaves the woodlands
strowing,
By a river hoarsely
roaring,
Isabella stray’d
deploring—
“Farewell, hours
that late did measure
Sunshine days of joy
and pleasure;
Hail, thou gloomy night
of sorrow,
Cheerless night that
knows no morrow!
“O’er the
past too fondly wandering,
On the hopeless future
pondering;
Chilly grief my life-blood
freezes,
Fell despair my fancy
seizes.
“Life, thou soul
of every blessing,
Load to misery most
distressing,
Gladly how would I resign
thee,
And to dark oblivion
join thee!”
Up In The Morning Early
Cauld blaws the wind
frae east to west,
The drift is driving
sairly;
Sae loud and shill’s
I hear the blast—
I’m sure it’s
winter fairly.
Chorus.—Up
in the morning’s no for me,
Up in the morning early;
When a’ the hills
are covered wi’ snaw,
I’m sure it’s
winter fairly.