The Bonny, Bonny Dell
by
Oh! the bonny, bonny dell, whaur the yorlin sings,
Wi’ a clip o’ the sunshine atween his wings;
Whaur the birks are a’ straikit wi’ fair munelicht,
And the brume hings its lamps by day and by nicht;
Whaur the burnie comes trottin ower shingle and stane
Liltin bonny havers til ‘tsel its lane;
And the sliddery troot wi’ ae soop o’ its tail
Is ahint the green weed’s dark swingin veil!
Oh, the bonny, bonny dell, whaur I sang as I saw
The yorlin, the brume, and the burnie, and a’!
Oh! the bonny, bonny dell, whaur the primroses won,
Luikin oot o’ their leaves like wee sons o’ the sun;
Whaur the wild roses hing like flickers o’ flame,
And fa’ at the touch wi’ a dainty shame;
Whaur the bee swings ower the white-clovery sod,
And the butterfly flits like a stray thoucht o’ God;
Whaur, like arrow shot frae life’s unseen bow,
The dragon-fly burns the sunlicht throu!
Oh, the bonny, bonny dell, whaur I sang to see
The rose and the primrose, the draigon and bee!
Oh! the bonny, bonny dell, whaur the mune luiks doon
As gien she war hearin a soughless tune,
Whan the flooers and the birdies are a’ asleep,
And the verra burnie gangs creepy-creep;
Whaur the corn-craik craiks i’ the lang-heidit rye,
And the nicht is the safter for his rouch cry;
Whaur the win’ wud fain lie doon on the slope,
And the gloamin waukens the high-reachin hope!
Oh, the bonny, bonny dell, whaur, silent, I felt
The mune and the darkness baith into me melt!
Oh! the bonny, bonny dell, whaur the sun luiks in
Sayin, “Here awa, there awa, hand awa, Sin!”
Sayin darkness and sorrow a’ work for the licht,
And the will o’ God was the hert o’ the nicht;
Whaur the laverock hings hie, on his ain sang borne,
Wi’ bird-shout and tirralee hailin the morn;
Whaur my hert ran ower wi’ the lusome bliss
That, come winter, come weather, nocht gaed amiss!
Oh, the bonny, bonny dell, whaur the sun luikit in
Sayin, “Here awa, there awa, hand awa, Sin!”
Oh! the bonny, bonny dell, whaur aft I wud lie,
Wi’ Jeanie aside me sae sweet and sae shy;
Whaur the starry gowans wi’ rose-dippit tips
War as white as her cheek and as reid as her lips;
Whaur she spread her gowd hert till she saw that I saw,
Syne fauldit it up and gied me it a’;
Whaur o’ sunlicht and munelicht she was the queen,
For baith war but middlin withoot my Jean!
Oh, the bonny, bonny dell, whaur aft I wud lie,
Wi’ Jeanie aside me sae sweet and sae shy!
Oh! the bonny, bonny dell, whaur the kirkyard lies
A’ day and a’ nicht luikin up to the skies;
Whaur the sheep wauken up i’ the simmer nicht,
Tak a bite and lie doon, and await the licht;
Whaur the psalms roll ower the grassy heaps;
Whaur the win’ comes and moans, and the rain comes and weeps;
Whaur my Jeanie’s no lyin in a’ the lair,
For she’s up and awa up the angels’ stair!
Oh, the bonny, bonny dell, whaur the kirkyard lies,
Whaur the stars luik doon, and the nicht-wind sighs!