Page:The poetical works of Robert Burns.djvu/281

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE SONGS OF BURNS.
219

BESSY AND HER SPINNIN WHEEL.

TUNE—'BOTTOM OF THE PUNCH BOWL.'

O leeze me on my spinnin wheel,O leeze me on my rock and reel;Frae tap to tae that cleeds me bien,And haps me fiel and warm at e'en!I'll set me down and sing and spin,While laigh descends the simmer sun,Blest wi' content, and milk and meal—O leeze me on my spinnin wheel.
On ilka hand the burnies trot,And meet below my theekit cot;The scented birk and hawthorn white,Across the pool their arms unite,Alike to screen the birdie's nest,And little fishes' caller rest:The sun blinks kindly in the biel',Where blithe I turn my spinnin wheel.
On lofty aiks the cushats wail,And echo cons the doolfu' tale;The lintwhites in the hazel braes,Delighted, rival ither's lays:The craik amang the claver hay,The paitrick whirrin o'er the ley,The swallow jinkin round my shiel,Amuse me at my spinnin wheel.
Wi' sma' to sell, and less to buy,Aboon distress, below envy,O wha wad leave this humble state,For a' the pride of a' the great?Amid their flarin, idle toys,Amid their cumbrous, dinsome joys,Can they the peace and pleasure feelOf Bessy at her spinnin wheel?

FAIR ELIZA.

TUNE—'THE BONIE BRUCKET LASSIE.'

Turn again, thou fair Eliza,Ae kind blink before we part,Rew on thy despairing lover!Canst thou break his faithfu' heart?Turn again, thou fair Eliza;If to love thy heart denies,For pity hide the cruel sentenceUnder friendship's kind disguise!
Thee, dear maid, hae I offended?The offence is loving thee;Canst thou wreck his peace for ever,Wha for thine wad gladly die?While the life beats in my bosom,Thou shalt mix in ilka throe:Turn again, thou lovely maiden,Ae sweet smile on me bestow.
Not the bee upon the blossom,In the pride o' sinny noon;Not the little sporting fairy,All beneath the simmer moon;Not the poet in the momentFancy lightens in his ee,Kens the pleasure, feels the rapture,That thy presence gies to me.

LOUIS, WHAT RECK I BY THEE?

TUNE—MY MOTHER'S AYE GLOWRING O'ER ME.'

Louis, what reck I by thee,Or Geordie on his ocean?Dyvour, beggar loons to me,I reign in Jeanie's bosom.
Let her crown my love her law,And in her breast enthrone me:Kings and nations, swith awa!Reif randies, I disown ye!
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.