Collected English Verse — Robert Burns. b. 1759, d. 1796 (Part 2 of 4)

511   John Anderson, my Jo

JOHN ANDERSON, my jo,¹ John,
   When we were first acquent,
Your locks were like the raven,
   Your bonnie brow was brent;²
But now your brow is beld,³ John,
   Your locks are like the snow;
But blessings on your frosty pow,⁴
   John Anderson, my jo!

John Anderson, my jo, John,
   We clamb the hill thegither;
And monie a canty⁵ day, John,
   We’ve had wi’ ane anither:
Now we maun totter down, John,
   But hand in hand we’ll go,
And sleep thegither at the foot,
   John Anderson, my jo.

512   The Banks o’ Doon

YE flowery banks o’ bonnie Doon,
    How can ye blume sae fair!
How can ye chant, ye little birds,
    And I sae fu’ o’ care!

Thou’ll break my heart, thou bonnie bird,
    That sings upon the bough;
Thou minds me o’ the happy days
    When my fause luve was true.

Thou’ll break my heart, thou bonnie bird,
    That sings beside thy mate;
For sae I sat, and sae I sang,
    And wistna o’ my fate.

Aft hae I roved by bonnie Doon,
   To see the woodbine twine;
And ilka bird sang o’ its luve,
   And sae did I o’ mine.

Wi’ lightsome heart I pu’d a rose
   Upon a morn in June;
And sae I flourish’d on the morn,
   And sae was pu’d or¹ noon.

Wi’ lightsome heart I pu’d a rose
   Upon its thorny tree;
But my fause luver staw² my rose,
   And left the thorn wi’ me.

513   Ae Fond Kiss

AE fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee!

Who shall say that Fortune grieves him
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu’ twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.

I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy;
Naething could resist my Nancy;
But to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love for ever.

Had we never loved sae kindly,
Had we never loved sae blindly,
Never met—or never parted,
We had ne’er been broken-hearted.

Fare thee weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare thee weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, enjoyment, love, and pleasure!

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage¹ thee!

514   Bonnie Lesley

O SAW ye bonnie Lesley
   As she gaed o’er the Border?
She’s gane, like Alexander,
   To spread her conquests farther.