Fond lovers' parting is sweet painful pleasure,

Hope beaming mild on the soft parting hour;
But the dire feeling, O farewell for ever,
Is anguish unmingled and agony pure.

Wild as the winter now tearing the forest,

Till the last leaf o' the summer is flown,
Such is the tempest has shaken my bosom,
Since my last hope and last comfort is gone;
Still as I hail thee, thou gloomy December,

Still shall I hail thee wi' sorrow and care;
For sad was the parting thou makes me remember,
Parting wi' Nancy, Oh! ne'er to meet mair.

THE BANKS O' DOON.*

Tune-" Caledonian Hunt's Delight."

YE banks and braes o' bonnie Doon,
How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair;
How can ye chant, ye little birds,

And I sae weary, fu' o' care!

Thou'lt break my heart, thou warbling bird,
That wantons thro' the flowering thorn :
Thou minds me o' departed joys,

Departed never to return.

* Of this affecting song, Burns wrote this version in order to adapt it to an air composed by a Mr Millar, writer in Edinburgh, at the suggestion of Clarke the Musician. We subjoin the first and simpler version of this sad strain, where under the weight of misery a tone of accusation is mingled with that of complaint. We are indebted to Mr Cromek for the recovery of this set of the Banks of the Doon, who found it among the papers of the poet, and inserted it in the "Reliques."

Ye flowery banks o' bonnie Doon,
How can ye bloom sae fair;
How can ye chant, ye little birds,
And I sae fu' o' care!

Oft hae I rov'd by bonnie Doon,

To see the rose and woodbine twine;
And ilka bird sang o' its luve,

And fondly sae did I o' mine.
Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,
Fu' sweet upon its thorny tree;
And my fause luver stole my rose,

But ah! he left the thorn wi' me..

THE SMILING SPRING COMES IN REJOICING.

Tune-"Bonnie Bell."

THE smiling Spring comes in rejoicing,
And surly Winter grimly flies :

Now crystal clear are the falling waters,
And bonnie blue are the sunny skies ;
Fresh o'er the mountains breaks forth the morning,
The ev❜ning gilds the ocean's swell;
All creatures joy in the sun's returning,
And I rejoice in my bonnie Bell.

Thou'll break my heart, thou bonnie bird,

That sings upon the bough;

Thou minds me o' the happy days

When my fause luve was true.

Thou'll break my heart, thou bonnie bird,

That sings beside thy mate;

For sae I sat, and sae I sang,
And wistna o' my fate.

Aft hae I rov'd by bonnie Doon,
To see the woodbine twine,
And ilka bird sang o' its love;
And sae did I o' mine.

Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,
Frae aff its thorny tree;
And my fause luver staw the rose,
But left the thorn wi' me.

The flow'ry Spring leads sunny Summer,
And yellow Autumn presses near,
Then in his turn comes gloomy Winter
Till smiling Spring again appear.
Thus seasons dancing, life advancing,
Old Time and Nature their changes tell;
But never ranging, still unchanging
I adore my bonnie Bell.

WILT THOU BE MY DEARIE.

WILT thou be my dearie ?

When sorrow wrings thy gentle heart; O wilt thou let me cheer thee?

By the treasure of my soul,

And that's the love I bear thee!

I swear and vow, that only thou

Shall ever be my dearie.

Only thou, I swear and vow,
Shall ever be my dearie.

Lassie, say thou lo'es me;

Or if thou wilt na be my ain,

Say na thou❜lt refuse me;
If it winna, canna be

Thou for thine may choose me ;

Let me, lassie, quickly die,
Trusting that thou lo'es me.
Lassie, let me quickly die,
Trusting that thou lo'es me.

LOUIS, WHAT RECK I BY THEE?

Tune-"Louis, what reck I by thee."

Louis, what reck I by thee,
Or Geordie on his ocean?
Dyvor, beggar louns to me,
I reign in Jeanie's bosom.

Let her crown my love her law,
And in her breast enthrone me :
Kings and nations, swith awa!
Rief randies I disown ye!

THE CARLES OF DYSART.*

Tune-"Hey ca' thro'."

Up wi' the carles o' Dysart,

And the lads o' Buckhaven,
And the kimmers o' Largo,
And the lasses o' Leven.
Hey, ca' thro', ca' thro',
For we hae mickle ado;
Hey, ca' thro', ca' thro',

For we hae mickle ado.

"was

*It is passing strange to see with what pertinacity some editors wish to foist their ignorance upon the public, by way of gospel truths. Who told Allan Cunningham that this song never printed or heard of before?" It was "heard of" before the beginning of the last hundred years. Had such a song never been in existence, where was the Tune-"Hey ca' thro'," to come from, for every tune had words at some period of its existence? I give the original.

There's the cummers o' Largo,

Ancrum, Graham, and Dargo;

And there's the dancers o' Devin,

George Strachan, and Andrew Stevin.