We had not been assembled here, Rejoicing in a father's sway. And even the days ourselves have known Alike the moral truth impress, Valour and constancy alone Can purchase peace and happiness. Then hail! memorial of the brave, The liegeman's pride, the Border's awe ; May thy grey pennon never wave O'er sterner field than Carterhaugh! A WIDOW'S WAIL. ONE of my early songs, made so long ago that my mind retains no remembrance of the time, but I see it was published in the Forest Minstrel in 1810, and several times since, with some slight alterations. It is sung to the air of " Giideroy," but never was set to music. O THOU art lovely yet, my boy, I canna leave thy comely clay, I have no hope but for the day That we shall meet again, Since thou art gone, my bonny boy, I hoped thy sire's loved form to see, To trace his looks in thine; An' saw with joy thy sparkling ee I thought, when auld an' frail, I might But thou art fled, my bonny boy, An' left me here alane! Now closed an' set thy sparkling eye, An' thy dear spirit far away Ah! fain wad I that comely clay Reanimate again; But thou art fled, my bonny boy, An' left me here alane! The flower now fading on the lea The leaf just falling from the tree The year will soon renew; But lang may I weep o'er thy grave Ere thou reviv'st again ; For thou art fled, my bonny boy, An' left me here alane! AULD JOE NICHOLSON'S NANNY WAS written the year before last, for Friendship's Offering, but has since become a favourite, and has been very often copied. I have refused all applications to have it set to music, having composed an air for it myself, which I am conscious I will prefer to any other, however much better it may be. THE daisy is fair, the day-lily rare, The bud o' the rose as sweet as it's bonny; But there ne'er was a flower, in garden or bower, Like auld Joe Nicholson's bonny Nanny! O, my Nanny! My dear little Nanny! My sweet little niddlety-noddlety Nanny! There ne'er was a flower, In garden or bower, Like auld Joe Nicholson's bonny Nanny! |