The gallant Sir Robert fought hard to the end; Next uprose our bard, like a prophet in drink ;- "Thy line, that have struggled for freedom with Bruce, Shall heroes and patriots ever produce: So thine be the laurel, and mine be the bay; SECOND EPISTLE TO DAVIE, A BROTHER POET. Prefixed to the Poems of David Sillar, published at Kilmarnock, 1789. AULD NEEBOR, I'm three times, doubly, o'er your debtor, Tho' I maun say't, I doubt ye flatter, Ye speak sae fair; For my puir, silly, rhymin clatter Some less maun sair. fiddle; Hale be your heart, hale be your O' war'ly cares, "Till bairns' bairns kindly cuddle Your auld gray hairs. But, DAVIE, lad, I'm red ye're glaikit; An' gif its sae, ye sud be licket Until ye fyke; Sic hauns as you sud ne'er be faikit, Be hain't wha like. For me, I'm on Parnassus' brink, Whyles daez't wi' love, whyles daez't wi' drink, Wi' jads or masons; An' whyles, but aye owre late, I think Braw sober lessons. Of a' the thoughtless sons o' man, O' rhymin clink, The devil-haet, that I sud ban! They ever think. Nae thought, nae view, nae scheme o' livin, But just the pouchie put the nieve in, An' while ought's there, Then hiltie, skiltie, we gae scrievin, An' fash nae mair. Leeze me on rhyme! it's aye a treasure, The Muse, poor hizzie! Haud to the Muse, my dainty Davie : Tho' e'er sae puir, Na, even tho' limpin wi' the spavie Frae door to door. FAREWELL TO AYRSHIRE. SCENES of woe and scenes of pleasure, Bonny Doon sae sweet at gloamin, Bowers, adieu, whare Love, decoying, Friends, so near my bosom ever, Friends! that parting tear reserve it, Could I think I did deserve it, How much happier would I be! Scenes of woe and scenes of pleasure, 1 GLOSSARY... THE ch and gh have always the guttural sound. The sound of the English diphthong 00 is commonly spelled ou. The French u, a sound which often occurs in the Scottish language, is marked oo, or ui. The a in genuine Scottish words, except when forming a diphthong, or followed by an e mute after a single consonant, sounds generally like the broad English a in wall. The Scottish diphthong ae always, and ea very often, sound like the French e masculine. The Scottish diphthong ey sounds like the Latin ei. |