 | Poems and songs |  |
70
DUNCAN AND HELEN.
PART I.
Where Albyn's misty hills appear
To reach the azure lea,
Near by a burnie rinning clear,
An' sparkling i' the e'e,
To reach the azure lea,
Near by a burnie rinning clear,
An' sparkling i' the e'e,
Auld Malcolm's hamely dwelling raise,
By Nature's hand designed,
Whare he had spent his better days
Wi' Marion ever kind.
By Nature's hand designed,
Whare he had spent his better days
Wi' Marion ever kind.
Full saxty years, wi' eident pace,
Had crossed his frosty pow,
An' marked the furrow in his face,
An' quenched Youth's maddening low.
Had crossed his frosty pow,
An' marked the furrow in his face,
An' quenched Youth's maddening low.
71
Ah! now, whan 'twas his fa' to feel
Time's sair regardless blast,
He ilka day, wi' placid smile,
Could think upon the past.
Time's sair regardless blast,
He ilka day, wi' placid smile,
Could think upon the past.
Though far frae Grandeur's gowden ray
Their little cot did stand,
Here Innocence was wont to stray
Wi' Beauty, hand in hand.
Their little cot did stand,
Here Innocence was wont to stray
Wi' Beauty, hand in hand.
A daughter fair, o' make divine,
Adorned their rural hame;
Mair fair than Bard could e'er define,
An' Helen was her name.
Adorned their rural hame;
Mair fair than Bard could e'er define,
An' Helen was her name.
Her cheeks the rose spread blushing o'er,
Selvaged wi' sweetly pale,
As pure as is the modest flower
That decks the lowly vale.
Selvaged wi' sweetly pale,
As pure as is the modest flower
That decks the lowly vale.
72
Like starnies clear in frosty night,
Sae blinked ilka e'e,
Whare Love aft danced, a' fair bedight,
Wi' saul-inspiring glee.
Sae blinked ilka e'e,
Whare Love aft danced, a' fair bedight,
Wi' saul-inspiring glee.
Her father e'ed her beauties rare
Like opening flower unfald;
She was her mother's eident care,
An' comfort now, whan auld.
Like opening flower unfald;
She was her mother's eident care,
An' comfort now, whan auld.
Nor did her beauty sprout alane,
Untented an' unseen;
The shepherd lads were wooing fain,
Baith far an' near, I ween.
Untented an' unseen;
The shepherd lads were wooing fain,
Baith far an' near, I ween.
But lang ere now, a neighbour's son,
Wha lived a little by,
Fair Helen's tender heart had won,
E'en to the auld fouk's joy.
Wha lived a little by,
Fair Helen's tender heart had won,
E'en to the auld fouk's joy.
73
A faithfu' heart, an honest mind,
Young Duncan aye possest;
His look was o' the manliest kind,
Outstripping a' the rest.
Young Duncan aye possest;
His look was o' the manliest kind,
Outstripping a' the rest.
Thir twa had shot up on the green,
An' lang ilk ither knew;
Leal love in youth had hefted been,
An' strengthened as they grew.
An' lang ilk ither knew;
Leal love in youth had hefted been,
An' strengthened as they grew.
Wi' joy they looked to the day
That wadna keep them twain;
An' man an' wife, they hecht to hae
A haddin o' their ain.
That wadna keep them twain;
An' man an' wife, they hecht to hae
A haddin o' their ain.
But ah! at bonny morning dawn,
We aft bloom green to see,
Yet ere the sun at e'en is fa'n,
Are like a blasted tree.
We aft bloom green to see,
Yet ere the sun at e'en is fa'n,
Are like a blasted tree.
74
Like Death's dread trumpet frae afar,
'Mang Scotia's glens exiled,
The loud and dismal voice o' war
Is heard, wi' echoes wild.
'Mang Scotia's glens exiled,
The loud and dismal voice o' war
Is heard, wi' echoes wild.
To yonder dreary desert waste,
Washed by the raging main,
A youthfu' Prince, wi' grief down prest,
Came o'er to seek his ain.
Washed by the raging main,
A youthfu' Prince, wi' grief down prest,
Came o'er to seek his ain.
Ilk Chieftain strack his bossy shield,
That rang o'er hill an' glen;
The Clans rushed to the bloody field,
Like lions frae their den.
That rang o'er hill an' glen;
The Clans rushed to the bloody field,
Like lions frae their den.
To join his Chieftain, Duncan baul'
Forsook his love an' hame;
For Duncan had o'er proud a saul
To brook a coward's name.
Forsook his love an' hame;
For Duncan had o'er proud a saul
To brook a coward's name.
75
But, wae's me! wha can tearless tell
The horrid deeds o' death,
The dolefu' havoc that befell
On black Culloden's heath?
The horrid deeds o' death,
The dolefu' havoc that befell
On black Culloden's heath?
See Scotia's sons, in fierce array,
The bloody battle wage,
By furious passions led astray,
An' cursed party rage!
The bloody battle wage,
By furious passions led astray,
An' cursed party rage!
See here, in awfu' cloudy mood,
The son an' father stand!
See there the gash, still gushing blood,
Made by a brither's hand!
The son an' father stand!
See there the gash, still gushing blood,
Made by a brither's hand!
How mony a goodly youth lay cauld,
Pale on the muirland bare,
Ere lang to fill a mooly hald,
An' rest for evermair!
Pale on the muirland bare,
Ere lang to fill a mooly hald,
An' rest for evermair!
76
Yet still the master o' the day
Pretends his Country's weal,
An' mony a fa'n but manly fae
Bedims the murdering steel.
Pretends his Country's weal,
An' mony a fa'n but manly fae
Bedims the murdering steel.
The widow's greet, the baby's cry,
He winna lout to hear;
To sooth his rage in vain they try,
Tears only whet his spear.
He winna lout to hear;
To sooth his rage in vain they try,
Tears only whet his spear.
But turn we frae the cheerless view,
An' frae the ruefu' plain,
An' see whare peerless Helen now
Bewails her Duncan slain.
An' frae the ruefu' plain,
An' see whare peerless Helen now
Bewails her Duncan slain.
A rebel wight, wi' visage dour,
Wha scoured the hills alang,
In passing Helen's peacefu' bower,
The waefu' tidings brang.
Wha scoured the hills alang,
In passing Helen's peacefu' bower,
The waefu' tidings brang.
77
“Lang, lang,” quo' he, “wi' boiling blood,
“Wi' deadly strength he strade;
“At Charlie's side he bravely stood,
“Till Death his vengeance staid.”
“Wi' deadly strength he strade;
“At Charlie's side he bravely stood,
“Till Death his vengeance staid.”
Sic dolefu' news, as ye may trow,
Her very heart-strings rent;
To lily white her rose cheek grew,
Nor glimpse o' comfort kent.
Her very heart-strings rent;
To lily white her rose cheek grew,
Nor glimpse o' comfort kent.
She shunn'd the bonny singing burn,
She shunn'd the flowery brae;
Sic weel-kent scenes aye made her mourn,
An' eiked to her wae.
She shunn'd the flowery brae;
Sic weel-kent scenes aye made her mourn,
An' eiked to her wae.
Her father kind an' mither dear,
Wad gaze on her unseen,
An' dight the saft paternal tear
That trembled in their een.
Wad gaze on her unseen,
An' dight the saft paternal tear
That trembled in their een.
78
Nae mair around the ingle rang
The tales o' former years;
Nae langer Malcolm, gleesome, sang
The deeds o' his forbears.
[OMITTED]
The tales o' former years;
Nae langer Malcolm, gleesome, sang
The deeds o' his forbears.
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