 | Poems And Songs |  |
76
ANNIE LONNIE.
When on Crimean steppes War's trump
It's irefu' blast was blawin',
When mony youths in ilka toun
To sergeant-wiles were fa'in',
In wrath I left my faither's hearth,
Whare peacefu' joys were mony,
And reckless joined a sodger band,
Forgetting Annie Lonnie.
It's irefu' blast was blawin',
When mony youths in ilka toun
To sergeant-wiles were fa'in',
In wrath I left my faither's hearth,
Whare peacefu' joys were mony,
And reckless joined a sodger band,
Forgetting Annie Lonnie.
My faither hoose and looms wad pawn't
Frae oot the ranks to buy me,
And sware that nocht he had on earth
He ever wad deny me.
For mither (in the mools langsyne)
To's care had left her Johnnie,
Forbye a tender orphan-bairn,
The gentle Annie Lonnie.
Frae oot the ranks to buy me,
And sware that nocht he had on earth
He ever wad deny me.
77
To's care had left her Johnnie,
Forbye a tender orphan-bairn,
The gentle Annie Lonnie.
In vain my waefu' faither pled,
In vain the winsome maiden;
Cauld pride denied their boon, although
My een in mist were wadin'.
In vain they spak o' battle-fields,
Whare Death flew grim and gory,
For I had sworn the sodger's oath,
And dreamed his dream of glory.
In vain the winsome maiden;
Cauld pride denied their boon, although
My een in mist were wadin'.
In vain they spak o' battle-fields,
Whare Death flew grim and gory,
For I had sworn the sodger's oath,
And dreamed his dream of glory.
“Oh, faither, plead nae mair!” I cried—
“Oh! plead nae mair, sweet Annie;
I hae been wrang—I hae been rash,
But leave them noo I canna.
Your prayers frae fatal lead and steel
Will guard your worthless Johnnie,
And we wi' joy will meet again—
Fareweel, dear Annie Lonnie!”
“Oh! plead nae mair, sweet Annie;
I hae been wrang—I hae been rash,
But leave them noo I canna.
Your prayers frae fatal lead and steel
Will guard your worthless Johnnie,
And we wi' joy will meet again—
Fareweel, dear Annie Lonnie!”
78
My faither put my haun' in hers;
Quoth he, “My wilfu' callan',
I hae a fear that never mair
We'll meet within our hallan.
Then promise that at your return
Ye'll ne'er tak up wi' ony,
But mak the ae aim o' your life
The weal o' Annie Lonnie.”
Quoth he, “My wilfu' callan',
I hae a fear that never mair
We'll meet within our hallan.
Then promise that at your return
Ye'll ne'er tak up wi' ony,
But mak the ae aim o' your life
The weal o' Annie Lonnie.”
I promised.—On the deck I stood,
And watched the shore recedin';
And lang the house at hame I saw,
And heard my Annie pleadin';
Till 'mid the novelty of war,
Of sodger life and dangers,
The waefu', peerless pair at hame
Amang my thochts were strangers.
And watched the shore recedin';
And lang the house at hame I saw,
And heard my Annie pleadin';
Till 'mid the novelty of war,
Of sodger life and dangers,
The waefu', peerless pair at hame
Amang my thochts were strangers.
At Inkermann I focht and fell;
And while the field seemed reelin',
And while upon my senses crept
The painless ebb of feelin',
I saw between me and the sky
My hame, sae calm and bonny,
And wad hae gi'en a worl' to press
The haun' of Annie Lonnie.
And while the field seemed reelin',
And while upon my senses crept
The painless ebb of feelin',
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My hame, sae calm and bonny,
And wad hae gi'en a worl' to press
The haun' of Annie Lonnie.
In hospital for weary months
I lay a helpless lodger,
Till art and gentle hands restored
The maimed and fameless sodger.
And then cam news frae hame—the warst
That e'er had come to ony—
My faither gane, and in the world
Alane my Annie Lonnie.
I lay a helpless lodger,
Till art and gentle hands restored
The maimed and fameless sodger.
And then cam news frae hame—the warst
That e'er had come to ony—
My faither gane, and in the world
Alane my Annie Lonnie.
We sailed.—Oh! how I wished for wings
To skim across the ocean!
And fretted when nae wish of mine
Could speed the vessel's motion.
I fancied how sweet Annie's smile
Would greet the welcome Johnnie;
And, oh! how happy I should be
To toil for Annie Lonnie!
To skim across the ocean!
And fretted when nae wish of mine
Could speed the vessel's motion.
I fancied how sweet Annie's smile
Would greet the welcome Johnnie;
And, oh! how happy I should be
To toil for Annie Lonnie!
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I hurried hame.—The blinds were closed,
The doors were barred or lockit;
I trembled wi' a nameless dread,
And yet again I knockit.
“Is't here whare Annie Lonnie bides?”
I speir't a neebor callan'.
“Ay, but she's dead”—I heard nae mair,
But sank beside the hallan.
The doors were barred or lockit;
I trembled wi' a nameless dread,
And yet again I knockit.
“Is't here whare Annie Lonnie bides?”
I speir't a neebor callan'.
“Ay, but she's dead”—I heard nae mair,
But sank beside the hallan.
Ye see this medal on my breast—
It tells in pairt my story,
But canna tell how felly fate
Has read my dream of glory.
But aye I think I could hae leeved,
And been as blithe as ony,
Had I cam' hame in time to close
The een of Annie Lonnie.
It tells in pairt my story,
But canna tell how felly fate
Has read my dream of glory.
But aye I think I could hae leeved,
And been as blithe as ony,
Had I cam' hame in time to close
The een of Annie Lonnie.
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