My een are bauld, they dwall on a place Where I daurna mint my han'; But I water and tend and kiss the flowers O' my bonnie Lady Ann. I am but her father's gardener lad, My auld mither gets my wee wee fee, Wi' fatherless bairnies twa, My lady comes, my lady gaes Wi' a fu' and kindly han'; Oh, their blessin' maun mix wi' my luve, And fa' on Lady Ann! THE SPRING OF THE YEAR. ALLAN CUNNINGHAM. From "Cromek's Remains." GONE were but the winter cold, Cold's the snaw at my head, And the finger of death's at my een, Closing them to sleep. There is a time for holy song, An hour for charm and spell, And now's the time to bathe my babe In our blessed Ladye's well. Oh, thou wert born as fair a babe As light e'er shone aboon, Was it a breath of evil wind That harm'd thee, lovely child? Or was't the fairy's charmed touch That all thy bloom defiled? I've watched thee in the mirk midnight, And watch'd thee in the day, And sung our Ladye's sacred song, To keep the elves away. The moon is sitting on the hill, The owl doth chase the bearded bat, On a fair sea thy father sails Among the spicy isles: He thinks on thee, he thinks on me, And as he thinks he smiles; And sings, while he his white sail trims, And severs swift the sea, About his Anna's sunny locks, And of her bright blue ee. O blessed fountain, give her back THOU HAST SWORN BY THY GOD, MY JEANIE. ALLAN CUNNINGHAM. From "Cromek's Remains." THOU hast sworn by thy God, my Jeanie, And I hae sworn by my God, my Jeanie, By a' the stars sown thick ower heaven, Then foul fa' the hands that loose sic bands, Though the wee, wee cot maun be my bield, I wad lap me up rich i' the faulds o' luve, Her white arm wad be a pillow for me, Fu' safter than the down, And Luve wad winnow ower us his kind, kind wings, And sweetly I'll sleep, an' soun'. Come here to me, thou lass o' my luve, Come here and kneel wi' me; The morn is fu' o' the presence o' God, The morn-wind is sweet 'mang the beds o' new flowers, The wee birds sing kindlie an' hie; Our gudeman leans owre his kale-yard dyke, And a blythe auld bodie is he. The Beuk maun be taen whan the carle comes hame Wi' the holie psalmodie, And thou maun speak o' me to thy God, CAROLINA, BARONESS NAIRN, born 1766, died 1845. Air-"Loch-Erroch side."-C. R. 'Twas on a summer's afternoon, A wee afore the sun gaed down, Cam' ower the hills to Gowrie. The rose-bud, washed in summer's shower, But Kitty was the fairest flower That e'er was seen in Gowrie. To see her cousin she cam' there, The sun was setting on the Tay, Oh lang the lassie I had woo'd! Sae lown that there nae blast could blaw, Her faither was baith glad and wae; She whiles did smile, she whiles did greet, She naething said, and hung her head; There are several versions of this popular song. One of these, composed by William Reid, of Glasgow (1764-1831), begins,— "When Katie was scarce out nineteen." Another version is in the first two stanzas nearly the same with those of Lady Nairn's composition. It thus proceeds : : "I praised her beauty loud an' lang, Then round her waist my arms I flang, And said, 'My dearie, will ye gang To see the Carse o' Gowrie ?'" &c. Mr. Lyle, in his "Ancient Ballads and Songs " (London, 1827, 12mo., p. 138), presents an additional version, beginning, "A wee bit north frae yon green wood." C. R. KELVIN GROVE. THOMAS LYLE. Born 1792, died 1859.-C. R. LET us haste to Kelvin grove, bonnie lassie O; Paints the hollow dingle's side, Where the midnight fairies glide, bonnie lassie O. |