| |
| MY heid is like to rend, Willie, | |
| My heart is like to break; | |
| I ’m wearin’ aff my feet, Willie, | |
| I ’m dyin’ for your sake! | |
| O, say ye ’ll think on me, Willie, | 5 |
| Your hand on my briest-bane,— | |
| O, say ye ’ll think of me, Willie, | |
| When I am deid and gane! | |
| |
| It ’s vain to comfort me, Willie, | |
| Sair grief maun ha’e its will; | 10 |
| But let me rest upon your briest | |
| To sab and greet my fill. | |
| Let me sit on your knee, Willie, | |
| Let me shed by your hair, | |
| And look into the face, Willie, | 15 |
| I never sall see mair! | |
| |
| I ’m sittin’ on your knee, Willie, | |
| For the last time in my life,— | |
| A puir heart-broken thing, Willie, | |
| A mither, yet nae wife. | 20 |
| Ay, press your hand upon my heart, | |
| And press it mair and mair, | |
| Or it will burst the silken twine, | |
| Sae strang is its despair. | |
| |
| O, wae ’s me for the hour, Willie, | 25 |
| When we thegither met,— | |
| O, wae ’s me for the time, Willie, | |
| That our first tryst was set! | |
| O, wae ’s me for the loanin’ green | |
| Where we were wont to gae,— | 30 |
| And wae ’s me for the destinie | |
| That gart me luve thee sae! | |
| |
| O, dinna mind my words, Willie, | |
| I downa seek to blame; | |
| But O, it ’s hard to live, Willie, | 35 |
| And dree a warld’s shame! | |
| Het tears are hailin’ ower our cheek, | |
| And hailin’ ower your chin: | |
| Why weep ye sae for worthlessness, | |
| For sorrow, and for sin? | 40 |
| |
| I ’m weary o’ this warld, Willie, | |
| And sick wi’ a’ I see, | |
| I canna live as I ha’e lived, | |
| Or be as I should be. | |
| But fauld unto your heart, Willie, | 45 |
| The heart that still is thine, | |
| And kiss ance mair the white, white cheek | |
| Ye said was red langsyne. | |
| |
| A stoun’ gaes through my heid, Willie, | |
| A sair stoun’ through my heart; | 50 |
| O, haud me up and let me kiss | |
| Thy brow ere we twa pairt. | |
| Anither, and anither yet!— | |
| How fast my life-strings break!— | |
| Fareweel! fareweel! through yon kirk-yard | 55 |
| Step lichtly for my sake! | |
| |
| The lav’rock in the lift, Willie, | |
| That lifts far ower our heid, | |
| Will sing the morn as merrilie | |
| Abune the clay-cauld deid; | 60 |
| And this green turf we ’re sittin’ on, | |
| Wi’ dew-draps shimmerin’ sheen, | |
| Will hap the heart that luvit thee | |
| As warld has seldom seen. | |
| |
| But O, remember me, Willie, | 65 |
| On land where’er ye be; | |
| And O, think on the leal, leal heart, | |
| That ne’er luvit ane but thee! | |
| And O, think on the cauld, cauld mools | |
| That file my yellow hair, | 70 |
| That kiss the cheek, and kiss the chin | |
| Ye never sall kiss mair! | |
| |
