Robert Tannahill

“ Mirk and rainy is the night;
⁠No a stam in a' the carie;
Lightnings gleam athwart the lift,
⁠And winds drive on wi' winter's fury.
Fearfu' soughs the boor-tree bank;
⁠The rifted wood roars wild and drearie;
Loud the iron yett does clank ”

“ Blaw your warst ye rain and win,
Since Maggy, now I'm in beside ye.
Now since I'm in beside you,
Now since I'm in beside you, Maggie,
What care I for howlet's cry,
For boor-tree-bank or warlock cragie.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. ”

“ Feathery breckans fringe the rocks,
'Neath the brae the burnie jouks,
⁠And ilka thing is cheery O;
Trees may bud, and birds may sing,
Flowers may bloom, and verdure spring,
Joy to me they canna' bring,
⁠Unless wi' thee, my dearie O. Tannahill. ”

“ Just op’ning fresh and bonny,
It blinks beneath the hazle bough,
An’s scarcely seen by ony;
Sae sweet amidst her native hills,
Obscurely blooms my Jeany,
Mair fair an’ gay than rossy May,
The flower o’ Arranteenie. ”

“ Ah! Harry, my love, though thou ne'er shouldst return,
⁠Till life's latest hour I thy absence will mourn,
And memory shall fade, like the leaf on the tree,
⁠Ere my heart spare ae thought on anither but thee. Tannahill. ”

“ When chilly breezes sweep the tide,
I'll hap thee wi' my Highland Plaid.
Lowland lads may dress mair fine,
Woo in words mair saft than mine;
Lowland lads hae mair of art,
A' my boast's an honest heart,
Whilk shall ever be my pride ”

“ Muddy are the streams that gush’d down sae clearly, O,
Silent are the rocks that echoed sae gladly, O,
The wild-melting strains o’ my dear Highland laddie, O.
Oh! love is like the morning, sae gladsome and bonnie, O,
Till winds fa’ a storming, and clouds lower sae rainy, O,
As nature in winter droops, withering sae sadly, O,
Sae lang may I mourn for my dear Highland laddie, O. ”

“ The trumpet sounds to war's alarms,
⁠The drums they beat, the fifes they play,—
Come, Mary, cheer me wi' thy charms,
⁠For the morn I will be far away.
⁠Good night and joy, good night and joy,
⁠Good night and joy be wi' you a' ”

“ Still the weary moments counting,
Far frae Love and thee, laddie.
O’er the gory fields of war,
When Vengeance drives his crimson car,
Thou’lt maybe fa’ frae me afar,
And nane to close thy e’e, laddie. ”

“ Happy was the time when we herded together O;
Sweet were the hours when he row‘d me in his plaidie O,
And vow’d to be mine my dear Highland Laddie O.
But a wae's me wi' their sodgeridg sae greedy O,
The laird's ta'en awa my braw Highland Laddie O ”

“ Now naething is heard but the wind whistling drearie,
⁠And naething is seen but the wide-spreading snaw.
The trees are a' bare, and the birds mute and dowie,
⁠They shake the cauld drift frae their wings as they flee ”

“ Matthew Tannahill says in the communication with which we are favoured: "My brother had a strong wish to see Alloway's auld haunted kirk, and he and two or three of his young acquaintances set out to pay it a visit. After seeing the kirk, they visited some of the surrounding scenery. I remember he was well pleased with the jaunt, and, when he returned, he gave me a copy of two verses of a son which he said he wrote in his bed-room the first time he was in the town of Ayr. I know he did not think much of them himself, and I believe he never wrote another copy. ”

“ They‘ll sing you yet a cantie sang,
Then O in pity let them be!
Thou bonnie, &c.
When winter blaws in sleety showers,
Frae aff the Norland hills sae hie,
He lightly skiffs thy bonnie bowers,
As laith to harm a flow‘r in thee. ”

“ BY TANNAHILL.
[The following songs, by Robert Tannahill, are, so far as is known to us, here printed for the first time. We were favoured with them by the poet's brother, Mr. Matthew Tannahill of Paisley, who says they were composed when their author was about 16 or 17 years of age. The first is to the old air of "Good night and joy be wi' you a'" The second is to the tune of "The Lea Rig."]
I.
The evening sun's gaen down the west,
⁠The birds sit nodding on the tree;
All nature now prepares for rest,
⁠But rest prepared there's none for me. ”

“ But, weel I wat, our bridal bed
⁠Was clean pease strae.
Wi' working late and early,
⁠We're come to what you see;
For fortune thrave aneath our hands,
⁠Sae eydent aye were we.
The lowe o' love made labour light ”

“ Countess of Loudon—and the song is supposed to depict the parting of the soldier and his young bride. Nothing could exceed its popularity during many years of the war, and it is still a favourite. In 1816, while Governor-General of India, the earl of Moira was created marquis of Hastings: he returned to England in 1823 or 23, and visited Loudon castle, but died at Malta in 1824, of which place had been appointed governor. ”

“ The poet," he adds, "had no particular fair one in his eye at the time, and Jessie was quite an imaginary personage." The truth is, Tannahill wrote the words to supplant the old coarse song, called "Bob o' Dunblane"—hence the title. ”

“ I thought it was the place we set,
⁠And waited maist till dawning morn.
Sae be na vex'd, my bonnie lassie,
⁠Let my waiting stand for thine,
We'll awa' to Craigton shaw,
⁠And seek the joys we tint yestreen. ”

“ Gloomy Winter.
[This fine song was written by Tannahill about the year 1808, and the music arranged by R. A. Smith from what was considered an old air, called "Lord Balgonie's Favourite." The editor, however, of Albyn's Anthology (Alexander Campbell) afterwards claimed the air as his own.] ”

“ Our bonnie Scots lads.
[Robert Tannahill.—Set to music by R. A. Smith.]
Our bonnie Scots lads, in their green tartan plaids,
⁠Their blue-belted bonnets, and feathers sae braw,
Rank'd up on the green were fair to be seen,
⁠But my bonnie young laddie was fairest of a'. ”