THE LAIRD'S DAUGHTER.
SONG XIII.
1
Loud crew the gray cock, as the morning awoke,
For heaven soar'd the laverock;
The hazle groves rang with the blythe merle's sang,
On fairie bank'd Bounaivrock:
When whisper'd a lad in a fair lady's ear,
“The golden lock'd morning begins for to peer,
And my bare breast must sunder Nith's silver current clear,
Ere the sun shines on Caerlaverock.”
2
“It is the lammas moon, clomb the dark clouds aboon,
That tempts the groves to waken;
Or the flame's ruddy streak from Burnswark's bright peak,
That for the morn is taken.
For heed not the laverock, he lies of the morn;
Hark! the mavis sits mute on the blossoming thorn,
Nor the am'rous tongued craik from the green-bladed corn,
The morning dew has shaken.”
3
“O lovesome lady, take thy white arm from my neck,
And mark the light returning;
Through the casement a streak drops on thy rosie cheek,
Of the golden hue of morning.
Adown the greenwood brake my pathway I'll take,
Before thy proud father or kinsmen awake,
Else the two fairest eyes that ere shone for man's sake,
Might dim themselves with mourning.”
4
“Let the birds shake the grove, and the laverock above
Midst golden clouds repose him;
Let the bird take his strain, while in love's pleasant pain
I press thee to my bosom.
It is not in titles, nor grandeur, nor pow'r,
So virtuous a portion of mind for my dow'r,
I search'd thro' noble weeds, and I found a humble flow'r
Of a richer fairer blossom.”
5
So spake the fair dame, soon the sun's ruddy flame
'Gan town and tow'r illumine;
From the sky's silver road, the lark to the sod
His fragrant breast came pluming.
And see with his locks loosened bright to the day,
Leaps the white-footed lad down the bloom-cover'd way,
And sunders the Nith, that from banking to brae
In torrent might is foaming.
