Poems and Songs of Robert Burns

Song—The Bonie Wee Thing Epigram On Miss Davies Song—The Charms Of Lovely Davies Song—What Can A Young Lassie Do Wi’ An Auld Man Song—The Posie On Glenriddell’s Fox Breaking His Chain Poem On Pastoral Poetry Verses On The Destruction Of The Woods Near Drumlanrig Song—The Gallant Weaver Epigram At Brownhill Inn^1 Song—You’re Welcome, Willie Stewart Song—Lovely Polly Stewart Song—Fragment,—Damon And Sylvia Song—Fragment—Johnie Lad, Cock Up Your Beaver Song—My Eppie Macnab Song—Fragment—Altho’ He Has Left Me Song—O For Ane An’ Twenty, Tam Song—Thou Fair Eliza Song—My Bonie Bell Song—Sweet Afton Address To The Shade Of Thomson Song—Nithsdale’s Welcome Hame Song—Frae The Friends And Land I Love Song—Such A Parcel Of Rogues In A Nation Song—Ye Jacobites By Name Song—I Hae Been At Crookieden Epistle To John Maxwell, ESQ., Of Terraughty Second Epistle To Robert Graham, ESQ., Of Fintry The Song Of Death Poem On Sensibility Epigram—The Toadeater Epigram—Divine Service In The Kirk Of Lamington Epigram—The Keekin’-Glass A Grace Before Dinner A Grace After Dinner Song—O May, Thy Morn Song—Ae Fond Kiss, And Then We Sever Song—Behold The Hour, The Boat, Arrive Song—Thou Gloomy December Song—My Native Land Sae Far Awa 1792 Song—I do Confess Thou Art Sae Fair Lines On Fergusson, The Poet Song—The Weary Pund O’ Tow Song—When She Cam’ Ben She Bobbed Song—Scroggam, My Dearie Song—My Collier Laddie Song—Sic A Wife As Willie Had Song—Lady Mary Ann Song—Kellyburn Braes Song—The Slave’s Lament Song—O Can Ye Labour Lea? Song—The Deuks Dang O’er My Daddie Song—The Deil’s Awa Wi’ The Exciseman Song—The Country Lass Song—Bessy And Her Spinnin’ Wheel Song—Fragment—Love For Love Song—Saw Ye Bonie Lesley Song—Fragment Of Song Song—I’ll Meet Thee On The Lea Rig Song—My Wife’s A Winsome Wee Thing Song—Highland Mary Song—Auld Rob Morris The Rights Of Woman—Spoken by Miss Fontenelle Epigram On Miss Fontenelle Extempore On Some Commemorations Of Thomson Song—Duncan Gray Song—A Health To Them That’s Awa A Tippling Ballad—When Princes and Prelates 1793 Song—Poortith Cauld And Restless Love Epigram On Politics Song—Braw Lads O’ Galla Water Sonnet Written On The Author’s Birthday, Song—Wandering Willie Wandering Willie (Revised Version) Lord Gregory: A Ballad Song—Open The Door To Me, Oh Song—Lovely Young Jessie Song—Meg O’ The Mill Song—Meg O’ The Mill (Another Version) The Soldier’s Return: A Ballad Epigram—The True Loyal Natives Epigram—On Commissary Goldie’s Brains Lines Inscribed In A Lady’s Pocket Almanac Epigram—Thanksgiving For A National Victory Epigram—The Raptures Of Folly Epigram—Kirk and State Excisemen Extempore Reply To An Invitation A Grace After Meat Grace Before And After Meat Impromptu On General Dumourier’s Desertion From The French Republican Army Song—The Last Time I Came O’er The Moor Song—Logan Braes Song—Blythe Hae I been On Yon Hill Song—O Were My Love Yon Lilac Fair Bonie Jean—A Ballad Lines On John M’Murdo, ESQ. Epitaph On A Lap-Dog Epigrams Against The Earl Of Galloway Epigram On The Laird Of Laggan Song—Phillis The Fair Song—Had I A Cave Song.—By Allan Stream Song—Whistle, And I’ll Come To You, My Lad Song—Phillis The Queen O’ The Fair Song—Come, Let Me Take Thee To My Breast Song—Dainty Davie Song—Robert Bruce’s March To Bannockburn Song—Behold The Hour, The Boat Arrive Song—Down The Burn, Davie Song—Thou Hast Left Me Ever, Jamie Song—Where Are The Joys I have Met? Song—Deluded Swain, The Pleasure Song—Thine Am I, My Faithful Fair Impromptu On Mrs. Riddell’s Birthday Song—My Spouse Nancy Address Spoken by Miss Fontenelle Complimentary Epigram On Maria Riddell 1794 Remorseful Apology Song—Wilt Thou Be My Dearie? Song—A Fiddler In The North The Minstrel At Lincluden A Vision Song—A Red, Red Rose Song—Young Jamie, Pride Of A’ The Plain Song—The Flowery Banks Of Cree Monody On a lady famed for her Caprice. The Epitaph On the Same Epigram Pinned To Mrs. Walter Riddell’s Carriage Epitaph For Mr. Walter Riddell Epistle From Esopus To Maria Epitaph On A Noted Coxcomb Epitaph On Capt. Lascelles Epitaph On Wm. Graham, Esq., Of Mossknowe Epitaph On John Bushby, Esq., Tinwald Downs Sonnet On The Death Of Robert Riddell Song—The Lovely Lass O’ Inverness Song—Charlie, He’s My Darling Song—Bannocks O’ Bear Meal Song—The Highland Balou The Highland Widow’s Lament Song—It Was A’ For Our Rightfu’ King Ode For General Washington’s Birthday Inscription To Miss Graham Of Fintry Song—On The Seas And Far Away Song—Ca’ The Yowes To The Knowes Song—She Says She Loes Me Best Of A’ Epigram—On Miss Jessy Staig’s recovery. To The Beautiful Miss Eliza J-N On her Principles of Liberty and Equality. On Chloris Requesting me to give her a Spring of Blossomed Thorn. On Seeing Mrs. Kemble In Yarico Epigram On A Country Laird (Cardoness) Epigram on the Same Laird’s Country Seat Epigram on Dr. Babinton’s Looks Epigram On A Suicide Epigram On A Swearing Coxcomb Epigram On An Innkeeper Nicknamed (The Marquis) Epigram On Andrew Turner Song—Pretty Peg Esteem For Chloris Song—Saw Ye My Dear, My Philly Song—How Lang And Dreary Is The Night Song—Inconstancy In Love The Lover’s Morning Salute To His Mistress Song—The Winter Of Life Song—Behold, My Love, How Green The Groves Song—The Charming Month Of May Song—Lassie Wi’ The Lint-White Locks Dialogue song—Philly And Willy Song—Contented Wi’ Little And Cantie Wi’ Mair Song—Farewell Thou Stream Song—Canst Thou Leave Me Thus, My Katie Song—My Nanie’s Awa Song—The Tear-Drop—Wae is my heart Song—For The Sake O’ Somebody 1795 Song—A Man’s A Man For A’ That The Solemn League And Covenant Lines to John Syme with a Dozen of Porter. Inscription On Mr. Syme’s Crystal Goblet Apology To Mr. Syme For Not Dining with him Epitaph For Mr. Gabriel Richardson Epigram On Mr. James Gracie Song—Bonie Peg-a-Ramsay Inscription At Friars’ Carse Hermitage Song—Fragment—There Was A Bonie Lass Song—Fragment—Wee Willie Gray Song—O Aye My Wife She Dang Me Song—Gude Ale Keeps The Heart Aboon Song—O Steer Her Up An’ Haud Her Gaun Song—The Lass O’ Ecclefechan Song—O Let Me In Thes Ae Night Song—I’ll Aye Ca’ In By Yon Town Ballads on Mr. Heron’s Election—Ballad First Ballads on Mr. Heron’s Election—Ballad Second Ballads on Mr. Heron’s Election—Ballad Third Inscription For An Altar Of Independence Song—The Cardin O’t, The Spinnin O’t Song—The Cooper O’ Cuddy Song—The Lass That Made The Bed To Me Song—Had I The Wyte? She Bade Me Song—Does Haughty Gaul Invasion Threat? Song—Address To The Woodlark Song.—On Chloris Being Ill Song—How Cruel Are The Parents Song—Yonder Pomp Of Costly Fashion Song—’Twas Na Her Bonie Blue E’e Song—Their Groves O’Sweet Myrtle Song—Forlorn, My Love, No Comfort Near Song—Fragment,—Why, Why Tell The Lover Song—The Braw Wooer Song—This Is No My Ain Lassie Song—O Bonie Was Yon Rosy Brier Song—Song Inscribed To Alexander Cunningham Song—O That’s The Lassie O’ My Heart Inscription to Chloris Song—Fragment.—The Wren’s Nest Song—News, Lassies, News Song—Crowdie Ever Mair Song—Mally’s Meek, Mally’s Sweet Song—Jockey’s Taen The Parting Kiss Verses To Collector Mitchell 1796 The Dean Of Faculty Epistle To Colonel De Peyster Song—A Lass Wi’ A Tocher Song—The Trogger. Complimentary Versicles To Jessie Lewars 1. The Toast 2. The Menagerie 3. Jessie’s illness 4. On Her Recovery Song—O Lay Thy Loof In Mine, Lass Song—A Health To Ane I Loe Dear Song—O Wert Thou In The Cauld Blast Inscription To Miss Jessy Lewars Song—Fairest Maid On Devon Banks Glossary POEMS AND SONGS OF ROBERT BURNS Preface Robert Burns was born near Ayr, Scotland, 25th of January, 1759. He was the son of William Burnes, or Burness, at the time of the poet’s birth a nurseryman on the banks of the Doon in Ayrshire. His father, though always extremely poor, attempted to give his children a fair education, and Robert, who was the eldest, went to school for three years in a neighboring village, and later, for shorter periods, to three other schools in the vicinity. But it was to his father and to his own reading that he owed the more important part of his education; and by the time that he had reached manhood he had a good knowledge of English, a reading knowledge of French, and a fairly wide acquaintance with the masterpieces of English literature from the time of Shakespeare to his own day. In 1766 William Burness rented on borrowed money the farm of Mount Oliphant, and in taking his share in the effort to make this undertaking succeed, the future poet seems to have seriously overstrained his physique. In 1771 the family move to Lochlea, and Burns went to the neighboring town of Irvine to learn flax-dressing. The only result of this experiment, however, was the formation of an acquaintance with a dissipated sailor, whom he afterward blamed as the prompter of his first licentious adventures. His father died in 1784, and with his brother Gilbert the poet rented the farm of Mossgiel; but this venture was as unsuccessful as the others. He had meantime formed an irregular intimacy with Jean Armour, for which he was censured by the Kirk-session. As a result of his farming misfortunes, and the attempts of his father-in-law to overthrow his irregular marriage with Jean, he resolved to emigrate; and in order to raise money for the passage he published (Kilmarnock, 1786) a volume of the poems which he had been composing from time to time for some years. This volume was unexpectedly successful, so that, instead of sailing for the West Indies, he went up to Edinburgh, and during that winter he was the chief literary celebrity of the season. An enlarged edition of his poems was published there in 1787, and the money derived from this enabled him to aid his brother in Mossgiel, and to take and stock for himself the farm of Ellisland in Dumfriesshire. His fame as poet had reconciled the Armours to the connection, and having now regularly married Jean, he brought her to Ellisland, and once more tried farming for three years. Continued ill-success, however, led him, in 1791, to abandon Ellisland, and he moved to Dumfries, where he had obtained a position in the Excise. But he was now thoroughly discouraged; his work was mere drudgery; his tendency to take his relaxation in debauchery increased the weakness of a constitution early undermined; and he died at Dumfries in his thirty-eighth year. [See Burns’ Birthplace: The living room in the Burns birthplace cottage.] It is not necessary here to attempt to disentangle or explain away the