I'll be as free informing thee
Nae time hae I to tarry.

I ken thy friends try ilka means,
Frae wedlock to delay thee,
Depending on some higher chance -
But fortune may betray thee.

I ken they scorn my low estate,
But that does never grieve me;
But I'm as free as any he;

Sma' siller will relieve me.

I count my health my greatest wealth,
Sae long as I'll enjoy it;

I'll fear nae scant, I'll bode nae want,
As lang's I get employment.

But far-off fowls hae feathers fair,
And aye until ye try them;
Though they seem fair, still have a care,
They may prove waur than I am.
But at twal at night, when the moon shines

bright,

My dear, I'll come and see thee; For the man that lo'es his mistress weel,

Nae travel makes him weary.

Wor

ANNA, THY CHARMS.1

TUNE - Bonny Mary.

ANNA, thy charms my bosom fire,
And waste my soul with care;
But, ah! how bootless to admire,
When fated to despair!
Yet in thy presence, lovely fair,
To hope may be forgiven;
For sure 'twere impious to despair
So much in sight of heaven.

MY LADY'S GOWN, THERE'S GAIRS
UPON'T.

OUT ower yon muir, out ower yon moss, Whare gor-cocks through the heather moor-cocks

pass,

There wons auld Colin's bonny lass, lives A lily in a wilderness.

1 This song, with the four which follow it, were contributed by Burns to the sixth volume of Johnson's Museum, pubished in 1803.

VOL. III.

Sae sweetly move her gentle limbs,
Like music notes o' lovers' hymns;
The diamond dew is her e'en sae blue,
Where laughing love sae wanton swims.

JOCKEY'S TA'EN THE PARTING KISS.

TUNE-Jockey's ta'en the Parting Kiss.

JOCKEY'S ta'en the parting kiss
O'er the mountains he is gane,
And with him is a' my bliss,

Nought but griefs with me remain.
Spare my luve, ye winds that blaw,
Plashy sleets and beating rain!
Spare my luve, thou feathery snaw,
Drifting o'er the frozen plain!

When the shades of evening creep
O'er the day's fair, gladsome e'e,
Sound and safely may he sleep,
Sweetly blithe his waukening be!
He will think on her he loves,

Fondly he'll repeat her name;
For where'er he distant roves,

Jockey's heart is still at hame.

.

O LAY THY LOOF IN MINE, LASS.

TUNE- Cordwainers' March.

O LAY thy loof in mine, lass,
In mine, lass, in mine, lass;

And swear on thy white hand, lass,
That thou wilt be my ain.

A slave to love's unbounded sway,
He aft has wrought me meikle wae;
But now he is my deadly fae,

Unless thou be my ain.

palm

There's monie a lass has broke my rest, That for a blink I hae lo'ed best; an instant But thou art queen within my breast,

For ever to remain.

O lay thy loof in mine, lass,

In mine, lass, in mine, lass,

And swear on thy white hand, lass,

That thou wilt be my ain.

O MALLY'S MEEK, MALLY'S SWEET.

O MALLY'S meek, Mally's sweet,

Mally's modest and discreet,

Mally's rare, Mally's fair,

Mally's every way complete.

As I was walking up the street,

A barefit maid I chanced to meet; barefoot But oh, the road was very hard

For that fair maiden's tender feet.

It were mair meet that those fine feet
Were weel laced up in silken shoon;
And 'twere more fit that she should sit
Within yon chariot gilt aboon.

above

Her yellow hair, beyond compare,
Comes trinkling down her swan-like neck
And her two eyes, like stars in skies,
Would keep a sinking ship frae wreck.