SONGS. O, WAE BE TO THE ORDERS. O WAE be to the orders that marched my luve awa', And wae be to the cruel cause that gars my tears doun fa', O wae be to the bluidy wars in Hie Germanie, For they hae ta'en my luve, and left a broken heart to me. The drums beat in the mornin' afore the scriech o' day, And the wee wee fifes piped loud and shrill, while yet the morn was gray; The bonnie flags were a' unfurled, a gallant sight to see, But waes me for my sodger lad that marched to Germanie. O, lang, lang is the travel to the bonnie Pier o' Leith, O dreich it is to gang on foot wi' the snaw-drift in the teeth! And O, the cauld wind froze the tear that gathered in my e'e, When I gade there to see my luve embark for Germanie! I looked ower the braid blue sea, sae long as could be seen Ae wee bit sail upon the ship that my sodger lad was in ; But the wind was blawin' sair and snell, and the ship sailed speedilie, And the waves and cruel wars hae twinned my winsome luve frae me. I never think o' dancin, and I downa try to sing, But a' the day I spier what news kind neibour bodies bring; I sometimes knit a stocking, if knittin' it may be, Syne for every loop that I cast on, I am sure to let doun three. My father says I'm in a pet, my mither jeers at me, And bans me for a dautit wean, in dorts for aye to be; But little weet they o' the cause that drumles sae my e'e: O they hae nae winsome luve like mine in the wars o' Germanie! WEARIE'S WELL. In a saft simmer gloamin', It was there we twa first met But sidelang we looked on The corn-craik was chirming His sad eerie cry, And the wee stars were dreaming Their path through the sky; The burn babbled freely Its love to ilk flower, But we heard and we saw nought In that blessed hour. We heard and we saw nought Above or around; |