The Arran hills in the gloaming fade,
And the bonnie Heads o' Ayr,
And Ailsa Craig in his hazy plaid
Has wrapp'd his breast sae bare;
While a gentle breeze frae the south comes up,
And curls the skinkling sea,
My lad will ha'e good luck the nicht,
Good luck for the bairns and me.
Oh! he sails south, and he sails north,
In Irvine's bonnie bay,
And hame wi' a thousand three times told
He'll come in the morning grey.
Oh! lie ye still, my sweet wee bird,
Your sister's sound asleep,
And faither in his bonnie boat
By the nets his watch doth keep;
He'll draw them syne, and the silver fish
He'll bring to you and me;
For wi' the lave he'll get his share-
And there's plenty in the sea.
So he sails south, and he sails north
In Irvine's bonnie bay,
And oh! that Heaven may bring him hame
Aye safe in the morning grey.
AN OLD CONTRIBUTOR TO MAGA.
UNDER this designation, a learned and esteemed citizen of Edinburgh lately published a small duodecimo volume, entitled, "Songs and Verses Social and Scientific." The compositions originally appeared in Blackwood's Magazine, and have both in their original and present form attracted much public interest. "An old Contributor" is eminently genial and intensely amusing. The two following songs are transferred to these pages by the kind permission of the Messrs Blackwood.
THE SHERIFF'S LIFE AT SEA:
BEING PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF A MARITIME SHERIFF.
AIR-"The Sailor's Life at Sea."
How gay is the Sheriff's roving life,
Who from east to west can roam, boys:
How pleasant, with, or without, his wife,
To sail for his island home, boys!
Roaming here
Foaming there,
Merrily, cheerily,
Readily, steadily,
Many an hour of mirth and glee
Has the Sheriff's life at sea, my boys.
When the steam is up and the goods are stored,
And 'tis time to leave the Firth, boys,
The Sheriff gaily steps on board,
And steers away for the north, boys.
Steering here,
Veering there,
Merrily, cheerily.
Readily, steadily;
Quite from care and business free,
Is the Sheriff's life at sea, my boys.
But the vessel breasts the eastern breeze,
And St Andrews Bay is near, boys;
And the Sheriff tries to look at his ease,
Though he feels a little queer boys,
Pitching here,
Twitching there,
Cheerily, wearily,
Ruefully, woefully;
Much inclined to make Dundee
Is the Sheriff now at sea, my boys.
Then the vessel nears to Aberdeen,
And the plot is growing thick, boys:
On dinner bent the rest are seen,
But the Sheriff's fairly sick, boys.
Cooking here,
Puking there,
Drearily, wearily,
Groaningly, moaningly:
Plain it is it don't agree
With a Sheriff life at sea, my boys.
Yet afloat once more, when the waves are calm,
He tempts the treacherous main, boys;
And the Sheriff cures the coming qualm
With a glass of good champagne, boys.
Quaffing here,
Laughing there,
Cheerily, merrily,
Readily, steadily;
Quite intent upon a spree
Is the Sheriff now at sea, my boys.
But the zephyr soon becomes a gale,
And the straining vessel groans, boys;
And the Sheriff's face grows deadly pale,
As he thinks of Davy Jones, boys.
Thinking here,
Sinking there,
Wearily, drearily,
Shakingly, quakingly;
Not from fear or sickness free
Is the Sheriff now at sea, my boys.
FIRST LINES OF THE SONGS.
A BONNIE May lay in her birken bower, 473.
A bonnie rose bloom'd wild and fair, 270.
A chieftain to the Highlands, 176.
A dimpled face, a laughin' face, 487.
A glimpse of the river, 478.
A lintwhite sat in her mossy nest, 474.
A lively young lass had a wee pickle tow, 44.
A pretty young maiden sat on the grass, 254.
A sprig of white heather, 453.
A stillness crept about the house, 477.
A weary lot is thine, fair maid, 85.
A wee bird cam' to our ha' door, 228.
A wee bird sits upon a spray, 289.
A wet sheet and a flowing sea, 195.
A wind-bound exile, 346.
A yellow hair'd lassie, 462.
A young gudewife is in my house, 43.
Adieu-a lang and last adieu, 245.
Adieu, romantic banks of Clyde, 201.
Adieu, ye streams, 13.
Admiring nature's simple charms, 165.
Adown the burnie's flowery bank, 162.
Ae mild summer's gloamin', 463.
Ae morn, last ouk, as I gaed out, 36.
Ae morn of May, when fields were gay, 201.
Afore the Lammas tide, 291.
Afore the muircock begin to craw, 114.
Again the laverock seeks the sky, 396.
Ah! faded is that lovely bloom, 179.
Ah! Mary, sweetest maid, farewell, 157.
Ah, no! I cannot say farewell, 215.
Ah, Peggie! since thou'rt gane away, 115.
Ah! Sheelah, thou'rt my darling, 139.
Alake for the lassie! 190.
Alas! how true the boding voice, 397.
All night, by the pathway, 276.
Allen-a-dale has no faggot, 85.
Alone to the banks, 174.
Along by Levern stream so clear, 154.
Amang the birks sae blythe an' gay, 162.
And can thy bosom bear the thought, 267.
And dost thou speak sincere, my love, 127.
And why was you beguiling, 335.
Argyle is my name, 159.
As a father loves, 437.
As clear is Luther's wave, I ween, 249.
As o'er the Highland hills I hied, 11.
As sunshine to the flowers in May, 398.
At hame or afield, I'm cheerless and lone,
226.
At Willie's weddin' on the green, 157.
Auld Peter MacGowan, 416.
Awake the echoes of the night, 472.
Awake, awake, my own true love, 212.
Awa' wi' thae offers o' gowd an' o' gear, 489.
Away, away, my gallant bark, 443.
Away on the wings of the wind, 280.
Away to the Highlands, 332.
BARE was our burn brae, 394.
Be eident, be eident, fleet time rushes on, 413.
Behave yoursel' before folk, 213.
Ben Cruachan is king of the mountains, 451.
Beneath the shining, 364.
Bird of the wilderness, 109.
Blaw saftly, ye breezes, 72.
Blest be the hour of night, 439.
Blink over the burn, my sweet Betty, 146.
Blink over the burn, sweet Betty, 230.
Blue are the hills above the Spey, 421.
Blythe was the time when he fee'd, 138.
Blythe young Bess to Jeau did say, 118.
Bonnie Bessie Lee, 301.
Bonnie Bonaly's wee fairy-led stream, 413.
Bonnie Charlie's now awa, 64.
Bonnie Cluden, as ye wander, 163.
Bonnie lassie, blythesome lassie, 150.
Bonnie Mary Hay, I will lo'e thee yet, 336.
Bonnie Strathnaver, 451.
Bring the rod, the line, the reel, 422.
Brither Jamie cam' west wi' a braw burn trout,
125.
Burd Ailie sat doun, 471.
By Logan's streams that rin sae deep, 34.
By the lone Mankayana's margin grey, 222.
By yon hoarse murmurin' stream, 72.
CA' the yowes to the knowes, 265.
Caledonia! thou land of the mountain, 109.
Cam' ye by Athol, lad wi' the philabeg, 108.
Can ought be constant as the sun, 168.
Can ye lo'e, my dear lassie, 393.
Cauld blaws the wind frae north to south, 37.
Charlie's comin' o'er the sea, 465.
Chaunt me no more thy roundelay, 147.
Cheer, boys, cheer! no more of idle sorrow,
435.
Clap, clap handies, 471.
Come all ye jolly shepherds, 110.
Come awa', come awa', 223.
Come awa', hie awa', 146.
Come back, come back, thou youthful time,
434.
Come, gie's a sang, Montgomery cried, 5.
Come, listen to another, 349.
Come o'er the stream, Charlie, 111.
Come under my plaidie, 28.
Come when the dawn of the morning, 417.
Confide ye aye in Providence, 411.
Could this ill warld, 110.
Creep awa', my bairnie, creep afore ye gang,
412.
Culloden, on thy swarthy brow, 205.
DARK lowers the night, 55.
Dear aunty, what think ye, 400.
Dear to my heart as life's warm stream, 13.
Do you know what the birds, 458.
Doun fair Dalmeny's rosy dells, 473.
Down by a crystal stream, 480.
Down in the valley lone, 328.
Down the dark brow, 352.
Down whar the burnie rins, 313.
EACH whirl of the wheel, 393.
Eliza fair, the mirth of May, 406.
Eliza was a bonnie lass, 288.
Ere eild wi' his blatters, 167.
Erin, fair emerald gem of the ocean, 472.
Exiled far from scenes of pleasure, 145.
FAIR are the fleecy flocks, 131.
Fair as a star of light, 468.
Fair modest flower of matchless worth, 48.
Fair Scotland, dear as life to me, 406.
Fair was the morn, 260.
Fare-thee-well, for I must leave thee, 258.
Fare-thee-weel, my bonnie lassie, 249.
Fare-thee-well, my boy, 456.
Fareweel, Edinburgh, where happy we ha'
been, 69.
Fareweel, O fareweel, 71.
Fareweel to ilk hill, 359.
Fareweel, ye fields and meadows, 37.
Farewell, and though my steps, 224.
Farewell, our fathers' land, 255.
Farewell, ye braes of broad Braemar, 452.
Farewell, ye streams sae dear to me, 163.
Far from the giddy court, 137.
Far lone amang the Highland hills, 135.
Far over yon hills of the heather, 108.
Fierce as its sunlight, 435.
Fife, an' a the land about it, 126.
Float forth, thou flag of the free, 481.
Flowers of summer, 332.
Flow, my Ettrick! it was thee, 104.
Flow saftly thou stream, 167.
For mony lang year I ha'e heard, 169.
From the climes of the sun, 160.
From the village of Leslie, 56.
Full white the Bourbon, 196.
Fy, let us a' to the wedding, 42.
GAE bring my guid auld harp, 388.
Gae hame, gae hame, 462.
Gane were but the winter cauld, 194.
Gay is thy glen, Corrie, 196.
Give me the hour when bells, 460.
Give the swains of Italia, 481.
Gloomy winter's now awa', 137.
Go call for the mourners, 335.
Go seek in the wild glen, 197.
Go to Berwick, Johnnie, 37.
Go to him then if thou can'st go, 185.
Good night, and joy be wi' ye a', 158.
Grim winter was howlin' owre muir, 207.
Guid night, and joy be wi' ye a', 270.
HAD I the wings of a dove, 429.
Ha'e ye been in the north, bonnie lassie!
187.
Hail, land of my fathers, 452.
Hail to the chief who in triumph, 84.
Hark the martial drums resound, 145.
Hark, hark, the skylark singing, 154.
He came when the war was ended, 478.
He loved her for her merry eye, 427.
He's a terrible man, John Tod, 65.
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