| William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Georgian Verse. 1909. | | | | The White Rose o’ June | | By Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766–1845) |
| | | NOW 1 the bricht sun, and the soft simmer showers | |
| Deck a’ the woods and the gardens wi’ flowers; | |
| But bonnie and sweet though the hale o’ them be, | |
| There’s ane abune a’ that is dearest to me; | |
| And O, that’s the white rose, the white rose o’ June, | 5 |
| And may he that should wear it come back again sune! | |
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| It’s no on my breast, nor yet in my hair | |
| That the emblem dear I venture to wear; | |
| But it blooms in my heart, and its white leaves I weet, | |
| When alane in the goamin’ I wander to greet, | 10 |
| O’er the white rose, the white rose, the white rose o’ June; | |
| And may he that should wear it come back again sune! | |
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| Mair fragrant and rich the red rose may be, | |
| But there is nae spell to bind it to me; | |
| But dear to my heart and to fond memorie, | 15 |
| Though scathed and though blighted the white rose may be. | |
| O the white rose, the white rose, the white rose o’ June, | |
| O may he that should wear it come back again sune! | |
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| And oh! may the true hearts thy perils who share, | |
| Remembered wi’ tears and remembered in prayer, | 20 |
| Whom misfortune’s rude blast has sent far awa’, | |
| Fair breezes bring back sune to cottage and ha’;— | |
| Then, O sing the white rose, the white rose o’ June, | |
| And may he that should wear it wear Scotland’s auld croun! | |
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