Volume V Part 16 (1/2)
AIR--_”Fye, gae rub her owre wi' strae.”_
As suns.h.i.+ne to the flowers in May, As wild flowers to the hinny bee, As fragrant scent o' new mown hay, So my true love is sweet to me.
As costly jewels to the bride, As beauty to the bridegroom's e'e-- To sailors, as fair wind and tide, So my true love is dear to me.
As rain-draps to the thirsty earth, As waters to the willow-tree, As mother's joy at baby's birth, So my true love is dear to me.
Though owning neither wealth nor lan', He 's ane o' Heaven's pedigree; His love to G.o.d, his love to man, His goodness makes him dear to me.
The la.s.s that weds a warly fool May laugh, and sing, and dance a wee; But earthly love soon waxes cool, And foolish fancies turn ajee.
My laddie's heart is fu' o' grace, His loving e'e blinks bonnily, A heavenly licht illumes his face; Nae wonder though he 's dear to me.
TWILIGHT JOYS.
Musing, we sat in our garden bower, In the balmy month of June, Enjoying the pensive gloamin' hour When our daily task was done.
We spake of the friends of our early days, Some living, some dead and gane, And fancy skimm'd o'er the flow'ry braes Of our morning life again.
A bless'd, a lightsome hour was that, And joyful were we to see The sunny face of ilk bonnie brat, So full of frolicsome glee.
They ran, they row'd, they warsl'd, they fell, Whiles whirl'd in a fairy ring-- Our hearts ran o'er like a gus.h.i.+ng well, And we bless'd each happy thing.
In our wee dwelling the lamp of love, Trimm'd daily by faith and prayer, Flings light on earth, on heaven above, Sheds glory everywhere.
This golden lamp s.h.i.+nes clear and bright, When the world looks dark and doure, It brightens our morning, noon, and night, And gladdens our gloamin' hour.
WILLIAM WILSON.
William Wilson was born on the 25th December 1801, in the village of Crieff, Perths.h.i.+re. His parents being of the industrial cla.s.s and in indigent circ.u.mstances, he was early devoted to a life of manual labour.
While employed in a factory at Dundee, some of his poetical compositions were brought under the notice of Mrs Grant, of Laggan, who interested herself in his behalf, and enabled him to begin business as a coal merchant. He married early in life, and continued after marriage to write as ardent poetry about his wife as he had done before marriage. On her death, he married a lady of respectable connexions in the county of Roxburgh. In December 1833, he emigrated to America, and has since been in business as a publisher at Poughkeepsie, in the state of New York. He has repeatedly delivered lectures to scientific inst.i.tutions, and is well known to the higher cla.s.s of literary men in America. Many of his earlier poems were contributed to the _Edinburgh Literary Journal_; and he has published several of his own and other songs, with music of his own composition.
O BLESSING ON HER STARLIKE E'EN.
O blessing on her starlike e'en, Wi' their glance o' love divine; And blessing on the red, red lip, Was press'd yestreen to mine!
Her braided locks that waved sae light, As she danced through the lofty ha', Were like the cluds on the brow o' night, Or the wing o' the hoodie craw.
O mony a jimp an' gentle dame, In jewell'd pomp was there; But she was first among them a', In peerless beauty rare!
Her bosom is a holy shrine, Unstain'd by mortal sin, An' spotless as the snaw-white foam, On the breast o' the siller linn.
Her voice--hae ye heard the goudspink's note, By bowery glen or brake?