Page:The Book of Scottish Song.djvu/212

194 Let us wander by the mill, bonnie lassie, O,

To the cove beside the rill, bonnie lassie, O.

Where the glens rebound the call,

Of the roaring waters' fall,

Thro' the mountain's rocky hall, bonnie lassie, O.

O Kelvin banks are fair, bonnie lassie, O,

When in summer we are there, bonnie lassie, O,

There, the May-pink's crimson plume.

Throws a soft, but sweet perfume,

Round the yellow banks of broom, bonnie lassie, O.

Though I dare not call thee mine, bonnie lassie, O,

As the smile of fortune's thine, bonnie lassie, O,

Yet with fortune on my side,

I could stay thy father's pride.

And win thee for my bride, bonnie lassie, O.

But the frowns of fortune lower, bonnie lassie, O,

On thy lover at this hour, bonnie lassie, O,

Ere yon golden orb of day

Wake the warblers on the spray.

From this land I must away, bonnie lassie, O.

Then farewell to Kelvin grove, bonnie lassie, O,

And adieu to all I love, bonnie lassie, O,

To the river winding clear,

To the fragrant scented breer,

Even to thee of all most dear, bonnie lassie, O.

When upon a foreign shore, bonnie lassie, O,

Should I fall midst battle's roar, bimnie lassie, O,

Then, Helen! shouldst thou hear

Of thy lover on his bier,

To his memory shed a tear, bonnie lassie, O.

[.—Air, "Highland Harry back again." First published in "The Portfolio of British Songs," Glasgow, 1824,]

Flora's train the graces wait,

And chase rude winter from the plain;

As on she roves, the wild flowers spring,

And welcome summer back again:

Spring dances o'er the plain.

Flowering all the woodland scene;

Then join with me, my lovely May,

To welcome summer back again.

The budding wild will soon perfume

The air, when balm'd by April's rain,

'Mong banks clad o'er wi' waving broom,

We'll welcome summer back again:

In yon sequester'd scene,

The maris sings his cheerful strain,

And there we'll meet, my lovely May,

To welcome summer back again.

When yellow cowslips scent the mead,

Then gladness o'er the plains will reign,

And soon, my love! we'll pu' the flowers,

And welcome summer back again:

Spring dances o'er the plain,

Flowering all the woodland scene,

With blooming garlands in her train,

To welcome summer back again.

[—Dunoon is a favourite watering-place on the shore of the firth of Clyde, in Argyleshire. "The Glow-worm," says Mr. Lyle, "on mild summer evenings, especially after a shower of rain, is to be found in great abundance among the long grass and moss between Dunoon and the Holy-Loch, where the surrounding scenery renders this singular insect doubly interesting. The female is larger than the male, and emits a beautiful light (apparently phosphorescent, but not really so,) for the purpose of attracting the male; this issues from the four last rings of the abdomen: the male has a power of emitting a feeble light, but very disproportionate to that of the female. Two or three of these insects inclosed in a glass vase, will give a light sufficient to enable a perscm to read in the darkest night. There are fifty-two species of this insect scattered over the four quarters of the globe, of which two only are found in our own country, viz. the Glow-worm and the Fire-fly."]

the glow-worm lits her fairy lamp,

From a beam of the rising moon;

On the heathy shore at evening fall,

'Twixt Holy-Loch, and dark Dunoon:

Her fairy lamp's pale silvery glare,

From the dew-clad, moorland flower,

Invite my wandering footsteps there,

At the lonely twilight hour.