FORLORN, MY LOVE, NO COMFORT NEAR.

TUNE-Let me in this ae Night.

FORLORN, my love, no comfort near,
Far, far from thee, I wander here;
Far, far from thee, the fate severe
At which I most repine, love.

CHORUS.

Oh, wert thou, love, but near me,
But near, near, near me,

How kindly thou wouldst cheer me,
And mingle sighs with mine, love!

Around me scowls a wintry sky,
That blasts each bud of hope and joy;
And shelter, shade, nor home have I,
Save in those arms of thine, love.

--

Cold, altered Friendship's cruel part,
To poison Fortune's ruthless dart -
Let me not break thy faithful heart,

And say that fate is mine, love.

But dreary though the moments fleet,
Oh, let me think we yet shall meet!
That only ray of solace sweet

Can on thy Chloris shine, love.

LAST MAY A BRAW WOOER.

TUNE- The Lothian Lassie.

LAST May a braw wooer cam down the lang

glen,

And sair wi' his love he did deave me ;

deafen

I said there was naething I hated like men; The deuce gae wi'm to believe me, believe

me;

The deuce gae wi'm to believe me!

He spak o' the darts o' my bonny black e'en,
And vowed for my love he was dying;
I said he might die when he liked for Jean ;
The Lord forgie me for lying, for lying;
The Lord forgie me for lying!

A well-stocked mailen - himsel' for the

laird

And marriage aff-hand, were his proffers;

farm

I never loot on that I kenned it, or cared, let But thought I might hae waur offers, waur worse

offers;

But thought I might hae waur offers.

But what wad ye think? in a fortnight or

less,

The dei tak his taste to gae near her! He up the Gateslack to my black cousin Bess, Guess ye how, the jad! I could bear her, could bear her;

Guess ye how, the jad! I could bear her!

But a' the niest week as I fretted wi' care, next
I gaed to the tryste o' Dalgarnock, market, fair
And wha but my fine fickle lover was there!
I glowred as I'd seen a warlock, a

warlock;

I glowred as I'd seen a warlock.

stared

But owre my left shouther I gae him a blink, Lest neibors might say I was saucy;

My wooer he capered as he'd been in drink, And vowed I was his dear lassie, dear lassie; And vowed I was his dear lassie !

I speered for my cousin fu' couthy asked kindly and sweet,

Gin she had recovered her hearin',

And how my auld shoon fitted her

shachl't feet,

distorted

But, Heavens! how he fell a swearin', a

swearin';

But, Heavens! how he fell a swearin'.

He begged, for guidsake, I wad be his wife, Or else I wad kill him wi' sorrow;

So e'en to preserve the poor body in life,

I think I maun wed him to-morrow, to-mor

row;

1 think I maun wed him to-morrow.

WHY, why tell thy lover,

Bliss he never must enjoy?

Why, why undeceive him,

And give all his hopes the lie?
O why, while fancy, raptured, slumbers,
Chloris, Chloris all the theme,

Why, why wouldst thou cruel,

Wake thy lover from his dream?

July, 1795

O THIS IS NO MY AIN LASSIE.

TUNE-This is no my ain House.

CHORUS.

O THIS is no my ain lassie,
Fair though the lassie be;
O weel ken I my ain lassie,
Kind love is in her e'e.'

I see a form, I see a face,
Ye weel may wi' the fairest place;
It wants, to me, the witching grace,
The kind love that's in her e'e.

She's bonny, blooming, straight, and tall,
And lang has had my heart in thrall;
And aye it charms my very saul,
The kind love that's in her e'e.

A thief sae pawkie is my Jean,
To steal a blink, by a' unseen;

1 The reader will learn with surprise that the poet origi. nally wrote this chorus

O this is no my ain Body,

Kind though the Body be, etc.