Page:The poetical works of Robert Burns.djvu/257

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE SONGS OF BURNS.
199

BANKS OF CREE.

TUNE—'THE FLOWERS OF EDINBURGH.'

Here is the glen, and here the bower,All underneath the birchen shade;The village-bell has toll'd the hour,O what can stay my lovely maid?
'Tis not Maria's whispering call;'Tis but the balmy breathing gale,Mixt with some warbler's dying fall,The dewy star of eve to hail.
It is Maria's voice I hear!So calls the woodlark in the groveHis little faithful mate to cheer,At once 'tis music—and 'tis love.
And art thou come? and art thou true?O welcome, dear, to love and me!And let us all our vows renew,Along the flow'ry banks of Cree.

ON THE SEAS AND FAR AWAY.

TUNE—'O'ER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY.'

How can my poor heart be glad,When absent from my Sailor lad?How can I the thought forego,He's on the seas to meet the foe?Let me wander, let me rove,Still my heart is with my love;Nightly dreams and thoughts by dayAre with him that's far away.
CHORUS. On the seas and far away, On stormy seas and far away; Nightly dreams and thoughts by day Are aye with him that's far away.
When in summer's noon I faint,As weary flocks around me pant,Haply in this scorching sunMy Sailor's thund'ring at his gun:Bullets, spare my only joy!Bullets, spare my darling boy!Fate, do with me what you may,Spare but him that's far away!On the seas, etc.
At the starless midnight hour,When winter rules with boundless power;As the storms the forest tear,And thunders rend the howling air,Listening to the doubling roar,Surging on the rocky shore,All I can—I weep and pray,For his weal that's far away.On the seas, etc.
Peace, thy olive wand extend,And bid wild war his ravage end,Man with brother man to meet,And as a brother kindly greet:Then may heaven with prosp'rous galesFill my Sailor's welcome sails,To my arms their charge convey,My dear lad that's far away.On the seas, &c.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.