ON THE SEAS AND FAR AWAY

Show me that arm which, nerv'd with thundering fate,
Crush'd Usurpation's boldest daring!—
Dark-quench'd as yonder sinking star,

No more that glance lightens afar;

That palsied arm no more whirls on the waste of war.

Inscription to Miss Graham of Fintry.1

HERE, where the Scottish Muse immortal lives,
In sacred strains and tuneful numbers joined,
Accept the gift; though humble he who gives,
Rich is the tribute of the grateful mind.

So may no ruffled feeling in my breast,
Discordant, jar thy bosom-chords among;
But Peace attune thy gentle soul to rest,
Or Love ecstatic wake his seraph song,

Or Pity's notes, in luxury of tears,

As modest Want the tale of woe reveals;
While conscious Virtue all the strains endears,
And heaven-born Piety her sanction seals.

On the Seas and far away.2

Tune-"O'er the hills and far away."

How can my poor heart be glad,
When absent from my sailor lad;
How can I the thought forego-
He's on the seas to meet the foe?
Let me wander, let me rove,
Still my heart is with my love;
Nightly dreams, and thoughts by day,
Are with him that's far away.

1 Daughter of Burns's patron in the department of the Customs.

Thomson did not think this "one

of Burns's happiest productions," and he was right.

ON THE SEAS AND FAR AWAY

Chorus. On the seas and far away,

On stormy seas and far away;
Nightly dreams and thoughts by day,
Are aye with him that's far away.

When in summer noon I faint,
As weary flocks around me pant,
Haply in this scorching sun,
My sailor's thund'ring at his gun;
Bullets, spare my only joy!
Bullets, spare my darling boy!
Fate, do with me what you may,
Spare but him that's far away.
On the seas and far away,
On stormy seas and far away;
Fate, do with me what you may,
Spare but him that's far away.

At the starless, midnight hour

When Winter rules with boundless power,
As the storms the forests tear,

And thunders rend the howling air,
Listening to the doubling roar,
Surging on the rocky shore,
All I can-I weep and pray
For his weal that's far away.
On the seas and far away,
On stormy seas and far away;
All I can-I weep and pray,
For his weal that's far away.

Peace, thy olive wand extend,
And bid wild War his ravage end,
Man with brother Man to meet,
And as a brother kindly greet;

Then may heav'n with prosperous gales,
Fill my sailor's welcome sails;
To my arms their charge convey,
My dear lad that's far away.

CA' THE YOWES

On the seas and far away,
On stormy seas and far away;
To my arms their charge convey.
My dear lad that's far away.

Ca' the Yowes to the Knowes.1
Second Version.

Chorus.-Ca' the yowes to the knowes,
Ca' them where the beather grows,
Ca' them where the burnie rowes,
My bonie Dearie.

HARK the mavis' e'ening sang,
Sounding Clouden's woods amang;
Then a-faulding let us gang,
My bonie Dearie.

Ca' the yowes, &c.

We'll gae down by Clouden side,2
Thro' the hazels, spreading wide,
O'er the waves that sweetly glide,
To the moon sae clearly.
Ca' the yowes, &c.

Where, at moonshine's midnight hours,
O'er the dewy bending flowers,
Fairies dance sae cheery.

Ca' the yowes, &c.

Ghaist nor bogle shalt thou fear,
Thou'rt to Love and Heav'n sae dear,

Nocht of ill may come thee near;

My bonie Dearie.
Ca' the yowes, &c.

⚫ ewes.

The chorus from an older song.

? A little river so called, near Dumfries.-R. B.

b folding sheep.

3 An old ruin in a sweet situation at the confluence of the Clouden and the Nith.-R. B.

SHE LOES ME BEST OF A'

Fair and lovely as thou art,
Thou hast stown my very heart;

a

I can die-but canna part,

My bonie Dearie.

Ca' the yowes, &c.

She says she loes me best of a'.1

Tune-"Oonagh's Waterfall."

SAE flaxen were her ringlets,
Her eyebrows of a darker hue,
Bewitchingly o'er-arching

Twa laughing e'en o' lovely blue;
Her smiling, sae wiling,

Wad make a wretch forget his woe;

What pleasure, what treasure,

Unto these rosy lips to grow!

Such was my Chloris' bonie face,
When first that bonie face I saw;
And aye my Chloris' dearest charm-
She says, she lo'es me best of a'.

Like harmony her motion,

Her pretty ankle is a spy,
Betraying fair proportion,

Wad make a saint forget the sky:
Sae warming, sae charming,

Her fautless form and gracefu' air;
Ilk feature-auld Nature

Declar'd that she could do nae mair:
Hers are the willing chains o' love,

By conquering Beauty's sovereign law;
And still my Chloris' dearest charm-
She
says, she lo'es me best of a'.

a stolen.

1 Miss Lorimer is again the heroine.

TO DR MAXWELL

Let others love the city,

And gaudy show, at sunny noon;
Gie me the lonely valley,

The dewy eve and rising moon,
Fair beaming, and streaming,

Her silver light the boughs amang;
While falling, recalling,

The amorous thrush concludes his sang;
There, dearest Chloris, wilt thou rove,
By wimpling burn and leafy shaw,
And hear my vows o' truth and love,
And say, thou lo'es me best of a'.

To Dr Maxwell,

On Miss Jessy Staig's recovery.1

MAXWELL, if here you merit crave,
That merit I deny;

You save fair Jessie from the grave!-
An Angel could not die!

To the beautiful Miss Eliza J

Eliza J—n,

On her Principles of Liberty and Equality.2

How, Liberty! girl, can it be by thee nam'd?
Equality too! hussey, art not asham'd?

Free and Equal indeed, while mankind thou enchainest,
And over their hearts a proud Despot so reignest.

1 On Miss Staig, the heroine of

Lovely Young Jessie.

The idea occurs, as Mr Scott

Douglas points out, in a Latin Epigram of Dr Johnson.