| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 12501900. |
| |
| Joanna Baillie. 17621851 |
| |
| 510. The Outlaw's Song |
| |
| THE chough and crow to roost are gone, | |
| The owl sits on the tree, | |
| The hush'd wind wails with feeble moan, | |
| Like infant charity. | |
| The wild-fire dances on the fen, | 5 |
| The red star sheds its ray; | |
| Uprouse ye then, my merry men! | |
| It is our op'ning day. | |
| |
| Both child and nurse are fast asleep, | |
| And closed is every flower, | 10 |
| And winking tapers faintly peep | |
| High from my lady's bower; | |
| Bewilder'd hinds with shorten'd ken | |
| Shrink on their murky way; | |
| Uprouse ye then, my merry men! | 15 |
| It is our op'ning day. | |
| |
| Nor board nor garner own we now, | |
| Nor roof nor latchèd door, | |
| Nor kind mate, bound by holy vow | |
| To bless a good man's store; | 20 |
| Noon lulls us in a gloomy den, | |
| And night is grown our day; | |
| Uprouse ye then, my merry men! | |
| And use it as ye may. | |
|
|