The Complete Works - Robert Burns

Скачать книгу

shrinks aghast at the thought of being branded as—an impertinent blockhead, obtruding his nonsense on the world; and, because he can make a shift to jingle a few doggerel Scotch rhymes together, looking upon himself as a poet of no small consequence, forsooth!

      It is an observation of that celebrated poet, Shenstone, whose divine elegies do honour to our language, our nation, and our species, that “Humility has depressed many a genius to a hermit, but never raised one to fame!” If any critic catches at the word genius the author tells him, once for all, that he certainly looks upon himself as possessed of some poetic abilities, otherwise his publishing in the manner he has done would be a manœuvre below the worst character, which, he hopes, his worst enemy will ever give him. But to the genius of a Ramsay, or the glorious dawnings of the poor, unfortunate Fergusson, he, with equal unaffected sincerity, declares, that even in his highest pulse of vanity, he has not the most distant pretensions. These two justly admired Scotch poets he has often had in his eye in the following pieces, but rather with a view to kindle at their flame, than for servile imitation.

      To his Subscriber, the Author returns his most sincere thanks. Not the mercenary bow over a counter, but the heart-throbbing gratitude of the Bard, conscious how much he owes to benevolence and friendship for gratifying him, if he deserves it, in that dearest wish of every poetic bosom—to be distinguished. He begs his readers, particularly the learned and the polite, who may honour him with a perusal, that they will make every allowance for education and circumstances of life; but if, after a fair, candid, and impartial criticism, he shall stand convicted of dulness and nonsense, let him be done by as he would in that case do by others—let him be condemned, without mercy, in contempt and oblivion.

       Table of Contents

       Table of Contents

       Table of Contents

       Table of Contents

      [This is one of the earliest of the poet’s recorded compositions: it was written before the death of his father, and is called by Gilbert Burns, ‘a juvenile production.’ To walk by a river while flooded, or through a wood on a rough winter day, and hear the storm howling among the leafless trees, exalted the poet’s thoughts. “In such a season,” he said, “just after a train of misfortunes, I composed Winter, a Dirge.”]

      The wintry west extends his blast,

       And hail and rain does blaw;

       Or the stormy north sends driving forth

       The blinding sleet and snaw;

       While tumbling brown, the burn comes down,

       And roars frae bank to brae;

       And bird and beast in covert rest,

       And pass the heartless day.

      Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme

       These woes of mine fulfil,

       Here, firm, I rest, they must be best,

       Because they are Thy will!

       Then all I want (O, do thou grant

       This one request of mine!)

       Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,

       Assist me to resign!

      FOOTNOTES:

       Table of Contents

      [1] Dr. Young.

       Table of Contents

      THE

      DEATH AND DYING WORDS

      OF

      POOR MAILIE,

       Table of Contents

      THE AUTHOR’S ONLY PET YOWE.

      AN UNCO MOURNFU’ TALE.

      [This tale is partly true; the poet’s pet ewe got entangled in her tether, and tumbled into a ditch; the face of ludicrous and awkward sorrow with which this was related by Hughoc, the herd-boy, amused Burns so much, who was on his way to the plough, that he immediately composed the poem, and repeated it to his brother Gilbert when they met in the evening; the field where the poet held the plough, and the ditch into which poor Mailie fell, are still pointed out.]

      As Mailie, an’ her lambs thegither,

       Were ae day nibbling on the tether,

       Upon her cloot she coost a hitch,

       An’ owre she warsl’d in the ditch:

       There, groaning, dying, she did lie,

      “O thou, whose lamentable face

       Appears to mourn my woefu’ case!

       My dying words attentive hear,

       An’ bear them to my master dear.

      “Tell him, if e’er again he keep

       As muckle gear as buy a sheep,

       O bid him never tie them mair

       Wi’ wicked strings o’ hemp or hair!

      “Tell him he was a master kin’

       An’ ay was gude to me an’ mine;

       An’ now my dying charge I gie him,

       My helpless lambs, I trust them wi’ him.

      “O, bid him save their harmless lives

       Frae dogs, and tods, an’ butchers’ knives!

       But gie them guid cow-milk their fill,

       Till they be fit to fend themsel;

       An’ tent them duly,

Скачать книгу