Page:The poetical works of Robert Burns.djvu/305

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE SONGS OF BURNS.
241

LET NOT WOMAN E'ER COMPLAIN.

TUNE—'DUNCAN GRAY.'

Let not woman e'er complainOf inconstancy in love;Let not woman e'er complain,Fickle man is apt to rove:
Look abroad through Nature's range,Nature's mighty law is change;Ladies, would it not be strange,Man should then a monster prove?
Mark the winds, and mark the skies;Ocean's ebb, and ocean's flow:Sun and moon but set to rise,Round and round the seasons go.
Why then ask of silly man,To oppose great Nature's plan?We'll be constant while we can—You can be no more, you know.

THE RIGS O' BARLEY.

TUNE—'CORN RIGS ARE BONIE.'

It was upon a Lammas night,When corn rigs are bonie,Beneath the moon's unclouded light,I held awa to Annie:The time flew by, wi' tentless heed,Till 'tween the late and early,Wi' sma' persuasion she agreed,To see me thro' the barley.
The sky was blue, the wind was still,The moon was shining clearly;I set her down, wi' right good will,Amang the rigs o' barley;I ken't her heart was a' my ain;I lov'd her most sincerely;I kiss'd her owre and owre againAmang the rigs o' barley.
I lock'd her in my fond embrace;Her heart was beating rarely;My blessings on that happy place,Amang the rigs o' barley!But by the moon and stars so bright,That shone that hour so clearly!She ay shall bless that happy nightAmang the rigs o' barley.
I hae been blythe wi' comrades dear;I hae been merry drinking;I hae been joyfu' gath'rin gear;I hae been happy thinking:But a' the pleasures e'er I saw,Tho' three times doubl'd fairly,That happy night was worth them a',Amang the rigs o' barley.
Chorus.Corn rigs, an' barley rigs,An' corn rigs are bonie:I'll ne'er forget that happy night,Amang the rigs wi' Annie.

MY NANIE, O.

Behind yon hills where Lugar flows,'Mang moors an' mosses many, O,The wintry sun the day has clos'd,And I'll awa to Nanie, O.
The westlin wind blaws loud an' shill;The night's baith mirk and rainy, O:But I'll get my plaid, an' out I'll steal,An' owre the hill to Nanie, O.
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.