But purer, and brighter, and higher, by far, Than of those that have triumphed in song or in war, Are the names,--never breathed but with love they are heard,-- Of thy fearless Reformers, thy Martyrs revered.
Now thy sword is at rest, and thy harp is laid by, But the sword of the Spirit still waves from on high, And the harp of the Lord sounds in majesty forth, As of yore it was heard from the lands of the north.
Again, oh, my country! on thy hills of renown, Oppression, relentless, has darkly come down-- On the breeze of the mountain is borne the loud wail, And the lowlands reply to the wrongs of the Gael.
From the dark page of history shadows are cast, And the woes of the future loom out from the past; There are omens of evil, enshrouded in blood, But in midst of them all, there are tokens of good.
_Written in 1833. Contributed to the Book of Scottish Song._
I CANNA sleep a wink, lassie, When I gang to bed at night, But still o' thee I think, lassie, Till morning sheds its light. I lie an' think o' thee, lassie, And I toss frae side to side, Like a vessel on the sea, lassie, When stormy is the tide.
My heart is no my ain, lassie, It winna bide wi' me, Like a birdie it has gane, lassie, To nestle saft wi' thee. I canna lure it back, lassie, Sae keep it to yoursel'; But oh! it sune will brak, lassie, If you dinna use it well.
Where the treasure is they say, lassie, The spirit lingers there, An' mine has fled away, lassie, You needna' ask me where. I marvel oft if rest, lassie, On my eyes and heart wad bide, If I thy troth possessed, lassie, And thou wert at my side.
ON yonder sunny brae we met, Amid the summer flowers; And never can my heart forget The rapture of those hours, When she I loved forsook her home And there with me did stray, Oh! oft delighted did we roam On yonder sunny brae.
The gushing of the waterfall, The sunshine of the sky, The bloom, the balm, and, more than all, The sparkle of her eye, Brought to my heart a blissful tide That drove all care away, And I was happy at her side, On yonder sunny brae.
'Twas there I breathed my fondest vow, Nor told my love in vain; And I am happy with her now, Though years have passed since then. No sweeter scene my eyes shall see Though far my steps should stray: There's not a spot so dear to me As yonder sunny brae.