O Thou unknown, Almighty CauseOf all my hope and fear!In whose dread presence, ere an hour,Perhaps I must appear! If I have wander’d in those pathsOf life I ought to shun,As something, loudly, in my breast,Remonstrates I have done; Thou know’st that Thou hast formed meWith passions wild and strong;And list’ning to their witching voiceHas […]

O raging Fortune’s withering blastHas laid my leaf full low, O!O raging Fortune’s withering blastHas laid my leaf full low, O! My stem was fair, my bud was green,My blossom sweet did blow, O!The dew fell fresh, the sun rose mild,And made my branches grow, O! But luckless Fortune’s northern stormsLaid a’ my blossoms low, […]

Though fickle Fortune has deceived me,She pormis’d fair and perform’d but ill;Of mistress, friends, and wealth bereav’d me,Yet I bear a heart shall support me still. I’ll act with prudence as far ‘s I’m able,But if success I must never find,Then come misfortune, I bid thee welcome,I’ll meet thee with an undaunted mind.

O why the deuce should I repine,And be an ill foreboder?I’m twenty-three, and five feet nine,I’ll go and be a sodger! I gat some gear wi’ mickle care,I held it weel thegither;But now it’s gane, and something mair–I’ll go and be a sodger!

Tune–“Prepare, my dear Brethren, to the tavern let’s fly.” No churchman am I for to rail and to write,No statesman nor soldier to plot or to fight,No sly man of business contriving a snare,For a big-belly’d bottle’s the whole of my care. The peer I don’t envy, I give him his bow;I scorn not the […]

Tune–“The weaver and his shuttle, O.” My father was a farmer upon the Carrick border, O,And carefully he bred me in decency and order, O;He bade me act a manly part, though I had ne’er a farthing, O;For without an honest manly heart, no man was worth regarding, O. Then out into the world my […]

Then fill up a bumper and make it o’erflow,And honours masonic prepare for to throw;May ev’ry true Brother of the Compass and SquareHave a big-belly’d bottle when harass’d with care.

There was three kings into the east,Three kings both great and high,And they hae sworn a solemn oathJohn Barleycorn should die. They took a plough and plough’d him down,Put clods upon his head,And they hae sworn a solemn oathJohn Barleycorn was dead. But the cheerful Spring came kindly on,And show’rs began to fall;John Barleycorn got […]

An Unco Mournfu’ Tale As Mailie, an’ her lambs thegither,Was ae day nibbling on the tether,Upon her cloot she coost a hitch,An’ owre she warsl’d in the ditch:There, groaning, dying, she did lie,When Hughoc he cam doytin by. Wi’ glowrin een, and lifted han’sPoor Hughoc like a statue stan’s;He saw her days were near-hand ended,But, […]

Lament in rhyme, lament in prose,Wi’ saut tears trickling down your nose;Our bardie’s fate is at a close,Past a’ remead!The last, sad cape-stane o’ his woes;Poor Mailie’s dead! It’s no the loss o’ warl’s gear,That could sae bitter draw the tear,Or mak our bardie, dowie, wearThe mourning weed:He’s lost a friend an’ neebor dearIn Mailie […]

Tune–“I had a horse, I had nae mair.” Now westlin winds and slaught’ring gunsBring Autumn’s pleasant weather;The moorcock springs on whirring wingsAmang the blooming heather:Now waving grain, wide o’er the plain,Delights the weary farmer;And the moon shines bright, when I rove at night,To muse upon my charmer. The partridge loves the fruitful fells,The plover loves […]

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 agreedTo see me thro’ the barley. Corn rigs, an’ barley rigs,An’ corn rigs are bonie:I’ll ne’er forget that happy […]

Tune–“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. My Nanie’s charming, […]

A Fragment Chor.–Green grow the rashes, O;Green grow the rashes, O;The sweetest hours that e’er I spend,Are spent amang the lasses, O. There’s nought but care on ev’ry han’,In ev’ry hour that passes, O:What signifies the life o’ man,An’ ’twere na for the lasses, O.Green grow, etc. The war’ly race may riches chase,An’ riches still […]

Of all the numerous ills that hurt our peace,That press the soul, or wring the mind with anguishBeyond comparison the worst are thoseBy our own folly, or our guilt brought on:In ev’ry other circumstance, the mindHas this to say, “It was no deed of mine:”But, when to all the evil of misfortuneThis sting is added, […]

Tune–“Lass, an I come near thee.” “Wha is that at my bower-door?”“O wha is it but Findlay!”“Then gae your gate, ye’se nae be here:”“Indeed maun I,” quo’ Findlay;“What mak’ ye, sae like a thief?”“O come and see,” quo’ Findlay;“Before the morn ye’ll work mischief:”“Indeed will I,” quo’ Findlay. “Gif I rise and let you in”–“Let […]

Here lies Boghead amang the deadIn hopes to get salvation;But if such as he in Heav’n may be,Then welcome, hail! damnation.

Here Souter Hood in death does sleep;To hell if he’s gane thither,Satan, gie him thy gear to keep;He’ll haud it weel thegither.

O ye whose cheek the tear of pity stains,Draw near with pious rev’rence, and attend!Here lie the loving husband’s dear remains,The tender father, and the gen’rous friend;The pitying heart that felt for human woe,The dauntless heart that fear’d no human pride;The friend of man–to vice alone a foe;For “ev’n his failings lean’d to virtue’s side.”[1] […]

An honest man here lies at restAs e’er God with his image blest;The friend of man, the friend of truth,The friend of age, and guide of youth:Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,Few heads with knowledge so informed:If there’s another world, he lives in bliss;If there is none, he made the best of this.