The Poetry of Robert Burns Edited by William Ernest Henley and Thomas F. Henderson |
 | I. |
| 2. |
 | III. |
MY CHLORIS, MARK |
| IV. |
 | The Poetry of Robert Burns |  |
MY CHLORIS, MARK
I
My Chloris, mark how green the groves,The primrose banks how fair!
The balmy gales awake the flowers,
And wave thy flaxen hair.
257
II
The lav'rock shuns the palace gay,And o'er the cottage sings:
For Nature smiles as sweet, I ween,
To shepherds as to kings.
III
Let minstrels sweep the skilfu' stringIn lordly, lighted ha':
The shepherd stops his simple reed,
Blythe in the birken shaw.
IV
The princely revel may surveyOur rustic dance wi' scorn;
But are their hearts as light as ours
Beneath the milk-white thorn?
V
The shepherd in the flowery glenIn shepherd's phrase will woo:
The courtier tells a finer tale—
But is his heart as true?
VI
Here wild-wood flowers I've pu'd, to deckThat spotless breast o' thine:
The courtier's gems may witness love—
But 'tis na love like mine!
| The Poetry of Robert Burns | |