Poems And Songs :: :: University of Virginia Library

The westlin' sky's glowing
With June's parting smile,
The collier is thinking
Of morn's irksome toil:
O'er woodland and meadow
Yon rain-cloud hath passed,
And now from its bosom
The bow's fading fast:
Sae faded Hope's bow on that gloamin' langsyne,
When deeply ye lee'd, May, and wadnae be mine.

Since then, oh! how slowly
Time's creepit awa!
How scantly life's joy-gleams
Hae fa'en round us twa!

Ae weary wish wrinkling
Our brows day by day;
And ae regret robing
Our thochts a' in grey.
Oh! what had we dune to be parted sae lang?
While loving sae fondly, May, what led us wrang?

Awa o'er the ocean,
Whare lang I sojourned,
Of growing wealth careless,
Our parting I mourned.
I fancied ye happy,
Wi' bairns but and ben,
Ae blithe blooming lassie,
And lads growing men:
Love-glances I saw that I thocht wad been mine,
But for the cauld words on that gloamin' langsyne.

Ah, May! how I envied
Your love and your smile,
And grudged that anither
Should aye for ye toil!

Alas! never dreaming
That, bairnless and lane,
Ye focht your ain battle,
And help socht frae nane;
And nursed the sweet hope that ere life ye should tyne,
Ye'd richt a' the wrangs o' that gloamin' langsyne.

Oh! had some kind angel
But whispered, “She's free,
And wishing and wearying
And waiting for thee;”
Had Hope ever whispered
A dream half sae sweet,
How fast o'er the ocean
I'd flown to thy feet!
Oh, how could I think ye for me e'er wad pine,
Or fancy ye mourned o'er that gloamin' langsyne?

But farewell, repining!
False pride's left us noo;
Lang, lang's been the trial,
But safe we've won through.

Though worn and sair shaken
Wi' tempests blawn past,
Our barks in Love's haven
Hae anchored at last.
My joys shall be yours, May, your cares shall be mine,
And pleasure will spring from that gloamin' langsyne.