Robert Burns (1759–1796). Poems and Songs.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| 103. To Ruin |
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| ALL hail! inexorable lord! | |
| At whose destruction-breathing word, | |
| The mightiest empires fall! | |
| Thy cruel, woe-delighted train, | |
| The ministers of grief and pain, | 5 |
| A sullen welcome, all! | |
| With stern-resolv’d, despairing eye, | |
| I see each aimèd dart; | |
| For one has cut my dearest tie, | |
| And quivers in my heart. | 10 |
| Then low’ring, and pouring, | |
| The storm no more I dread; | |
| Tho’ thick’ning, and black’ning, | |
| Round my devoted head. | |
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| And thou grim Pow’r by life abhorr’d, | 15 |
| While life a pleasure can afford, | |
| Oh! hear a wretch’s pray’r! | |
| Nor more I shrink appall’d, afraid; | |
| I court, I beg thy friendly aid, | |
| To close this scene of care! | 20 |
| When shall my soul, in silent peace, | |
| Resign life’s joyless day— | |
| My weary heart is throbbing cease, | |
| Cold mould’ring in the clay? | |
| No fear more, no tear more, | 25 |
| To stain my lifeless face, | |
| Enclaspèd, and grasped, | |
| Within thy cold embrace! | |
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