The Country Lass
Robert Burns
Track 329 on Poems And Songs Of Robert Burns
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The Country Lass Lyrics
In simmer, when the hay was mawn,
And corn wav'd green in ilka field,
While claver blooms white o'er the lea
And roses blaw in ilka beild!
Blythe Bessie in the milking shiel,
Says—"I'll be wed, come o't what will":
Out spake a dame in wrinkled eild;
"O' gude advisement comes nae ill.
"It's ye hae wooers mony ane,
And lassie, ye're but young ye ken;
Then wait a wee, and cannie wale
A routhie butt, a routhie ben;
There's Johnie o' the Buskie-glen,
Fu' is his barn, fu' is his byre;
Take this frae me, my bonie hen,
It's plenty beets the luver's fire."
"For Johnie o' the Buskie-glen,
I dinna care a single flie;
He lo'es sae weel his craps and kye,
He has nae love to spare for me;
But blythe's the blink o' Robie's e'e,
And weel I wat he lo'es me dear:
Ae blink o' him I wad na gie
For Buskie-glen and a' his gear."
"O thoughtless lassie, life's a faught;
The canniest gate, the strife is sair;
But aye fu'—han't is fechtin' best,
A hungry care's an unco care:
But some will spend and some will spare,
An' wilfu' folk maun hae their will;
Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair,
Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill."
"O gear will buy me rigs o' land,
And gear will buy me sheep and kye;
But the tender heart o' leesome love,
The gowd and siller canna buy;
We may be poor—Robie and I—
Light is the burden love lays on;
Content and love brings peace and joy—
What mair hae Queens upon a throne?"
And corn wav'd green in ilka field,
While claver blooms white o'er the lea
And roses blaw in ilka beild!
Blythe Bessie in the milking shiel,
Says—"I'll be wed, come o't what will":
Out spake a dame in wrinkled eild;
"O' gude advisement comes nae ill.
"It's ye hae wooers mony ane,
And lassie, ye're but young ye ken;
Then wait a wee, and cannie wale
A routhie butt, a routhie ben;
There's Johnie o' the Buskie-glen,
Fu' is his barn, fu' is his byre;
Take this frae me, my bonie hen,
It's plenty beets the luver's fire."
"For Johnie o' the Buskie-glen,
I dinna care a single flie;
He lo'es sae weel his craps and kye,
He has nae love to spare for me;
But blythe's the blink o' Robie's e'e,
And weel I wat he lo'es me dear:
Ae blink o' him I wad na gie
For Buskie-glen and a' his gear."
The canniest gate, the strife is sair;
But aye fu'—han't is fechtin' best,
A hungry care's an unco care:
But some will spend and some will spare,
An' wilfu' folk maun hae their will;
Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair,
Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill."
"O gear will buy me rigs o' land,
And gear will buy me sheep and kye;
But the tender heart o' leesome love,
The gowd and siller canna buy;
We may be poor—Robie and I—
Light is the burden love lays on;
Content and love brings peace and joy—
What mair hae Queens upon a throne?"
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- 11.Winter: A Dirge
- 28.Song
- 47.Another
- 60.Postcript
- 66.The Holy Fair^1
- 73.Halloween^1
- 82.Scotch Drink
- 84.The Twa Dogs^1
- 86.The Ordination
- 88.The Vision
- 91.The Inventory^1
- 98.Masonic Song
- 100.The Epitaph
- 101.Per Contra
- 104.A Winter Night
- 106.Address To Edinburgh
- 107.Address To A Haggis
- 110.Song—Bonie Dundee
- 115.Prologue
- 116.The Bonie Moor-Hen
- 120.The Book-Worms
- 129.Elegy On “Stella”
- 130.The Bard At Inverary
- 135.To Miss Ferrier
- 145.Castle Gordon
- 150.Blythe Was She^1
- 165.M’Pherson’s Farewell
- 166.Stay My Charmer
- 167.Song—My Hoggie
- 171.Duncan Davison
- 174.To Daunton Me
- 177.Verses To Clarinda
- 185.The Fete Champetre
- 189.A Mother’s Lament
- 190.The Fall Of The Leaf
- 192.My Bonie Mary
- 193.The Parting Kiss
- 195.The Poet’s Progress
- 207.Caledonia—A Ballad
- 208.To Miss Cruickshank
- 209.Beware O’ Bonie Ann
- 213.Sketch In Verse
- 214.The Wounded Hare
- 215.Delia, An Ode
- 217.On A Bank Of Flowers
- 219.The Banks Of Nith
- 220.Jamie, Come Try Me
- 222.Sweet Tibbie Dunbar
- 223.The Captain’s Lady
- 224.John Anderson, My Jo
- 226.Song—Tam Glen
- 230.My Eppie Adair
- 243.Awa’ Whigs, Awa’
- 244.A Waukrife Minnie
- 245.The Captive Ribband
- 247.The Whistle—A Ballad
- 248.To Mary In Heaven
- 250.The Five Carlins
- 258.Postscript
- 259.Song—I Murder Hate
- 261.Election Ballad
- 275.Craigieburn Wood
- 279.The Posie
- 283.The Gallant Weaver
- 285.Lovely Polly Stewart
- 288.My Eppie Macnab
- 292.Thou Fair Eliza
- 293.My Bonie Bell
- 294.Sweet Afton
- 299.Ye Jacobites By Name
- 304.The Song Of Death
- 305.Poem On Sensibility
- 306.The Toadeater
- 308.The Keekin’-Glass
- 311.O May, Thy Morn
- 314.Thou Gloomy December
- 320.Scroggam, My Dearie
- 321.My Collier Laddie
- 323.Lady Mary Ann
- 324.Kellyburn Braes
- 325.The Slave’s Lament
- 326.O Can Ye Labour Lea?
- 329.The Country Lass
- 331.Love For Love
- 332.Saw Ye Bonie Lesley
- 333.Fragment Of Song
- 336.Highland Mary
- 337.Auld Rob Morris
- 338.The Rights Of Woman
- 341.Duncan Gray
- 343.A Tippling Ballad
- 345.On Politics
- 350.Lord Gregory
- 352.Lovely Young Jessie
- 353.Meg O’ The Mill
- 355.The Soldier’s Return
- 364.Grace After Meat
- 368.Logan Braes
- 371.Bonie Jean—A Ballad
- 373.Epitaph On A Lap-Dog
- 377.Song—Had I A Cave
- 378.Song—By Allan Stream
- 382.Dainty Davie
- 385.Down The Burn, Davie
- 391.My Spouse Nancy
- 392.Address
- 394.Remorseful Apology
- 399.A Red, Red Rose
- 402.Monody
- 408.On Capt. Lascelles
- 415.The Highland Balou
- 423.To Dr. Maxwell
- 425.On Chloris
- 430.On A Suicide
- 433.On Andrew Turner
- 434.Pretty Peg
- 435.Esteem For Chloris
- 438.Inconstancy In Love
- 440.The Winter Of Life
- 446.Farewell Thou Stream
- 448.My Nanie’s Awa
- 449.The Tear-Drop
- 459.Bonie Peg-a-Ramsay
- 462.Wee Willie Gray
- 468.Her Answer
- 474.The Cooper O’ Cuddy
- 486.The Braw Wooer
- 491.Inscription
- 494.News, Lassies, News
- 495.Crowdie Ever Mair
- 500.The Dean Of Faculty
- 502.A Lass Wi’ A Tocher
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