The Canongate Burns (116 page)

Our lords are to the mountains gane,
gone

       A hunting o' the fallow deer;

And they hae gripet Hughie Graham
grasped

       For stealing o' the Bishop's mare,

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And they hae tied him hand and foot,
have

       And led him up thro' Stirling town;

The lads and lasses met him there,

       Cried, Hughie Graham thou art a loun. —
fool

O lowse my right hand free, he says,
loosen

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       And put my braid sword in the same;
broad

He's no in Stirling town this day

       Daur tell the tale to Hughie Graham. —
dare

Up then bespake the brave Whitefoord,

       As he sat by the bishop's knee;

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Five hundred white stots I'll gie you,
young bullocks, give

       If ye'll let Hughie Graham gae free. —
go

O haud your tongue the bishop says,
hold

       And wi' your pleadings let me be;

For tho' ten Grahams were in his coat,

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       Hughie Graham this day shall die. —

Up then bespake the fair Whitfoord,

       As she sat by the bishop's knee;

Five hundred white pence I'll gie you,
give

       If ye'll gie Hughie Graham to me. —

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O haud your tongue now lady fair,
hold

       And wi' your pleading let me be;

Altho' ten Grahams were in his coat,

       It's for my honor he maun die. —
shall

They've taen him to the gallows knowe,
taken, hill

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       He looked to the gallows tree,

Yet never colour left his cheek,

       Nor ever did he blin' his e'e. —
blink, eye

At length he looked round about,

       To see what he could spy;

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And there he saw his auld father,
old

       And he was weeping bitterly. —

A haud your tongue, my father dear.
hold

       And wi' your weeping let it be;

Thy weeping's sairer on my heart,
sorer

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       Than a' that they can do to me. —

And ye may gie my brother John
give

       My sword that's bent in the middle clear,

And let him come at twelve o'clock

       And see me pay the bishop's mare. —

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And ye may gie my brother James
give

       My sword that's bent in the middle brown;

And bid him come at four o'clock

       And see his brother Hugh cut down. —

Remember me to Maggy my wife,

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       The niest time ye gang o'er the moor;
next, go

Tell her, she staw the bishop's mare,
stole

       Tell her, she was the bishop's whore. —

And ye may tell my kith and kin,

       I never did disgrace their blood;

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And when they meet the bishop's cloak,

       To mak it shorter by the hood. —

O where hae ye been, Lord Ronald, my son?
have

       O where hae ye been, Lord Ronald, my son?

I hae been wi' my sweetheart, mother, make my bed soon;
have

       For I'm weary wi' the hunting, and fain wad lay down. —
desire to lie down

What got ye frae your sweetheart, Lord Ronald, my son?
from

       What got ye frae your sweetheart, Lord Ronald, my son?

I hae got deadly poison, mother, make my bed soon;

       For life is a burden that soon I'll lay down. —

I hae been at Crookieden,
have

       My bonie laddie, Highland laddie,

Viewing Willie and his men,

       My bonie laddie, Highland laddie,

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There our faes that burnt and slew,

       My bonie laddie, Highland laddie,

There at last they gat their due,
got

       My bonie laddie, Highland laddie.

Satan sits in his black neuk,
corner

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       My bonie laddie, Highland laddie,

Breaking sticks to roast the Duke,

       My bonie laddie, Highland laddie. —

The bloody monster gae a yell,
gave

       My bonie laddie, Highland laddie,

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And loud the laugh gaed round a' Hell!

       My bonie laddie, Highland laddie. —

There was a battle in the north,

       And nobles there was many,

And they hae kill'd Sir Charlie Hay,

       And they laid the wyte on Geordie.
blame

5
O he has written a lang letter,
long

       He sent it to his lady;

Ye maun come up to Enbrugh town
must, Edinburgh

       To see what words o Geordie.

When first she look'd the letter on,

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       She was baith red and rosy;
both

But she had na read a word but twa,
not, two

       Till she wallow't like a lily.
went pale

Gar get to me my gude grey steed,
go, good

       My menzie a' gae wi' me;
armed company all go

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For I shall neither eat nor drink,

       Till Enbrugh town shall see me.

And she has mountit her gude grey steed,
mounted, good

       Her menzie gaed wi her;

And she did neither eat nor drink

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       Till Enbrugh town did see her.

And first appear'd the fatal block,

       And syne the aix to head him;
axe, behead

And Geordie cumin down the stair,
coming

       And bands o' airn upon him.
iron

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But tho he was chain'd in fetters strang,
strong

       O' airn and steel sae heavy,
iron, so

There was na ane in a' the court,
not one

       Sae braw a man as Geordie.
so fine

O she's down on her bended knee,

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       I wat she's pale and weary,
bet

O pardon, pardon noble king,

       And gie me back my Dearie!
give

I hae born seven sons to my Geordie dear,
have

       The seventh ne'er saw his daddie;

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O pardon, pardon noble king,

       Pity a waefu lady!
woeful

Gar bid the headin-man make haste!
go, axeman

       Our king reply'd fu' lordly:

O noble king, tak a' that's mine,

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       But gie me back my Geordie.
give

The Gordons cam and the Gordons ran,

       And they were stark and steady;
strong

And ay the word amang them a'
among

       Was, Gordons keep you ready.

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An aged lord at the king's right hand

       Says, noble king but hear me;

Gar her tell down five thousand pound
go

       And gie her back her Dearie.
give

Some gae her marks, some gae her crowns,
give

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       Some gae her dollars many;

And she's tell'd down five thousand pound

       And she's gotten again her Dearie.

She blinkit blythe in her Geordie's face,
glanced

       Says, dear I've bought thee, Geordie;

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But there sud been bluidy bouks on the green,
should have, bloody corpses

       Or I had tint my laddie.
before, lost

He claspit her by the middle sma,
clasped, small

       And kisst her lips sae rosy;
so

The fairest flower o woman-kind

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       Is my sweet, bonie Lady.

HEALTH to the Maxwells' vet'ran Chief!

Health, ay unsour'd by care or grief:

Inspir'd, I turn'd Fate's sibyl leaf,

       This natal morn,

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I see thy life is stuff o' prief,
substance

       Scarce quite half-worn. —

This day thou metes threescore eleven,
completes

And I can tell that bounteous Heaven

(The Second-sight, ye ken, is given
know

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       To ilka Poet)
every

On thee a tack o' seven times seven
lease

       Will yet bestow it. —

If envious buckies view wi' sorrow
young people

Thy lengthen'd days on thy blest morrow,

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May DESOLATION'S lang-teeth'd harrow,
long-

       Nine miles an hour,

Rake them like Sodom and Gomorrah,

       In brunstane stoure. —
brimstone dust

But for thy friends, and they are monie,
many

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Baith honest men and lasses bonie,
both, bonny

May couthie Fortune, kind and cannie
loving, careful

       In social glee,

Wi' mornings blythe and e'enings funny

       Bless them and thee: —

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Fareweel, auld birkie! Lord be near ye,
old fellow

And then the Deil, he daur na steer ye:
devil, dare not, afflict

Your friends ay love, your foes ay fear ye!
always

       For me, Shame fa' me,
befall

If neist my heart I dinna wear ye,
next, do not

       While BURNS they ca' me!
call

The Shepherd's wife cries o'er the knowe,
hill's ridge

Will ye come hame, will ye come hame;
home

The Shepherd's wife cries o'er the knowe,

Will ye come hame again een, jo?
evening, darling

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What will I get to my supper,

Gin I come hame, gin I come hame?
if, home

What will I get to my supper,

Gin I come hame again een, jo?

Ye'se get a panfu' o' plumpin parridge,
porridge

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And butter in them, and butter in them,

Ye'se get a panfu' o' plumpin parridge,

Gin ye'll come hame again een, jo. —

Ha, ha, how! that 's naething that dow,
nothing, of value

I winna come hame, I canna come hame;
will not, cannot

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Ha, ha how! that 's naething that dow,
can

I winna come hame gin een, jo. —
at evening

Ha, ha, how! &c.?

The Shepherd's wife &c.

What will I get &c.

A reekin fat hen, weel fryth'd i' the pan,
cooking, well fried

Gin ye'll come hame, gin ye'll come hame,

A reekin fat hen weel fryth'd i' the pan,

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Gin ye'll come hame again een, jo. —

Ha, ha, how! &c.

The Shepherd's wife &c.

What will I get &c.

A weel made bed and a pair o' clean sheets,
well

Gin ye'll come hame, gin ye'll come hame,

A weel made bed and a pair o' clean sheets,

Gin ye'll come hame again een, jo. —

Ha, ha, how! &c.

The Shepherd's wife &c.

What will I get &c.

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A luving wife in lily-white linens,

Gin ye'll come hame, gin ye'll come hame,

A luving wife in lily-white linens.

Gin ye'll come hame again een, jo. —

Ha, ha, how! that's something that dow,
of value

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I will come hame, I will come hame;

Ha, ha, how! that's something that dow,

I will come hame again e'en, jo. —