The Poetical Works of Anna Seward With Extracts from her Literary Correspondence. Edited by Walter Scott ... In Three Volumes |
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BALLAD
IN THE
ANCIENT SCOTCH DIALECT,
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 | The Poetical Works of Anna Seward |  |
358
BALLAD IN THE ANCIENT SCOTCH DIALECT,
AULD WILLIE'S FAREWELL,
A Free-Booter, taken in a Border Battle, and condemned to be Executed.
Fareweel my ingle,
bleezing bright
When the snell storm's begun;
My bouris casements aw sae light,
When glints the bonnie sun!
When the snell storm's begun;
My bouris casements aw sae light,
When glints the bonnie sun!
359
Fareweel my deep glen, speck'd wi' sloe,
O' tangled hazles full;
Green leas and heathery hills, where low
My kine and glourin bull.
O' tangled hazles full;
Green leas and heathery hills, where low
My kine and glourin bull.
Fareweel my red deer, jutting proud,
My rooks, o' murky wing!
Farewell my wee birds, lilting loud,
Aw in the merry Spring!
My rooks, o' murky wing!
Farewell my wee birds, lilting loud,
Aw in the merry Spring!
Fareweel my sheep, that sprattle on,
In a lang line, sae braw,
Or lie on cliffs, the rocks aboon,
Like late-left patch o' snaw.
In a lang line, sae braw,
Or lie on cliffs, the rocks aboon,
Like late-left patch o' snaw.
Fareweel my burn, that wimpling
rins,
My clattering brig o' yew!
My scaly tribe, wi' gowden fins,
Sae nimbly flickering through!
My clattering brig o' yew!
My scaly tribe, wi' gowden fins,
Sae nimbly flickering through!
Fareweel my boat, and lusty oars,
That skelp wi' miekle spray!
Fareweel my braes
on Tiviot shores,
That cool the Simmer's day!
That skelp wi' miekle spray!
360
That cool the Simmer's day!
Fareweel my neighbours, whase swift steed
O'er Saxon bounds ha' scower'd,
Soom'd drumlie floods when moons were dead,
And ilka star was smoor'd!
O'er Saxon bounds ha' scower'd,
Soom'd drumlie floods when moons were dead,
And ilka star was smoor'd!
Maist dear for a' ye shared wi' me
When scaith and prey did goad,
And danger, like a wraith, did flee
Along the darksome road.
When scaith and prey did goad,
And danger, like a wraith, did flee
Along the darksome road.
Fareweel my winsome
wife, sae gay,
Fu' fain frae hame to gang,
Wi' spunky lads to geck and play,
The flowrie haughs among!
Fu' fain frae hame to gang,
Wi' spunky lads to geck and play,
The flowrie haughs among!
Fareweel my gowk!
thy warning note
Then aft-times ca'ed aloud,
Tho' o' the word that swal'd thy throat,
Gude faith, I was na' proud.
Then aft-times ca'ed aloud,
Tho' o' the word that swal'd thy throat,
Gude faith, I was na' proud.
361
And pawky
gowk, sae free that maid'st,
Or e'er I hanged be,
Would I might learn if true thou said'st
When sae thou said'st to me!
Or e'er I hanged be,
Would I might learn if true thou said'st
When sae thou said'st to me!
In those days of continual civil war amongst the separate clans, each party hanged their prisoners. This Ballad was sent to Mr Scott, editor of The Border Minstrelsy, who inserted it in the third volume of that popular work. In his letter to the author, he observed, that the stoutest antiquarian in Scotland could not, after perusing Auld Willie's Farewell, suspect that the writer had the misfortune to have been born south of the Tweed.
| The Poetical Works of Anna Seward | |