Robert Burns: First Six Verses Of The Ninetieth Psalm Versified, The :

First Six Verses Of The Ninetieth Psalm Versified, The   1781 Type: Poem O Thou, the first, the greatest friend Of all the human race! Whose strong right hand has ever been Their stay and dwelling place! Before the mountains heav’d their heads Beneath Thy forming hand, Before this ponderous globe itself Arose at Thy […]

Robert Burns: Paraphrase Of The First Psalm:

Paraphrase Of The First Psalm   1781 Type: Poem The man, in life wherever plac’d, Hath happiness in store, Who walks not in the wicked’s way, Nor learns their guilty lore! Nor from the seat of scornful pride Casts forth his eyes abroad, But with humility and awe Still walks before his God. That man […]

Robert Burns: Under The Pressure Of Violent Anguish:

Under The Pressure Of Violent Anguish   1781 Type: Poem O Thou Great Being! what Thou art, Surpasses me to know; Yet sure I am, that known to Thee Are all Thy works below. Thy creature here before Thee stands, All wretched and distrest; Yet sure those ills that wring my soul Obey Thy high […]

Robert Burns: Winter: A Dirge:

Winter: A Dirge   1781 Type: Poem The wintry west extends his blast, And hail and rain does blaw; Or the stormy north sends driving forth The blinding sleet and snaw: While, tumbling brown, the burn comes down, And roars frae bank to brae; And bird and beast in covert rest, And pass the heartless […]

Robert Burns: Mary Morison:

Mary Morison   1780 Type: Song Tune: Bide ye yet. O Mary, at thy window be, It is the wish’d, the trysted hour! Those smiles and glances let me see, That make the miser’s treasure poor: How blythely was I bide the stour, A weary slave frae sun to sun, Could I the rich reward […]

Robert Burns: Bonie Peggy Alison:

Bonie Peggy Alison   1780 Type: Song Tune: The Braes o’ Balquhidder. Chor. – And I’ll kiss thee yet, yet, And I’ll kiss thee o’er again: And I’ll kiss thee yet, yet, My bonie Peggy Alison. Ilk care and fear, when thou art near I evermair defy them, O! Young kings upon their hansel throne […]

Robert Burns: Lass Of Cessnock Banks, The:

Lass Of Cessnock Banks, The   1780 Type: Song Tune: If he be a Butcher neat and trim. A Song of Similes On Cessnock banks a lassie dwells; Could I describe her shape and mein; Our lasses a’ she far excels, An’ she has twa sparkling roguish een. She’s sweeter than the morning dawn, When […]

Robert Burns: Here’s To Thy Health:

Here’s To Thy Health   1780 Type: Song Tune: Laggan Burn. Here’s to thy health, my bonie lass, Gude nicht and joy be wi’ thee; I’ll come nae mair to thy bower-door, To tell thee that I lo’e thee. O dinna think, my pretty pink, But I can live without thee: I vow and swear […]

Robert Burns Country: Ronalds Of The Bennals, The:

Ronalds Of The Bennals, The   1780 Type: Poem In Tarbolton, ye ken, there are proper young men, And proper young lasses and a’, man; But ken ye the Ronalds that live in the Bennals, They carry the gree frae them a’, man. Their father’s laird, and weel he can spare’t, Braid money to tocher […]

Robert Burns: Handsome Nell:

Handsome Nell   1771-1779 Type: Song Tune: I am a man unmarried.     Once I lov’d a bonie lass, Ay, and I love her still; And whilst that virtue warms my breast, I’ll love my handsome Nell. As bonie lasses I hae seen, And mony full as braw; But, for a modest gracefu’ mein, […]

The Language of William Dunbar

The Language of William Dunbar Maybe I should have titled this English of William of Dunbar or William Dunbar’s English, but I haven’t —  because I am unsure what exactly is the language in which William Dunbar composed his poems. Or rather, I am pretty certain that the language is English, though literary authorities claim […]

The Amendis to the Telyouris and Sowtaris for the Turnament maid on thame

The Amendis to the Telyouris and Sowtaris for the Turnament maid on thame by William Dunbar (1450-1513 or 1530)   Betuix twell houris and ellevin, I dremed ane angell came fra Hevin With plesand stevin sayand on hie, Telyouris and Sowtaris, blist be ye. In Hevin hie ordand is your place, Aboif all Sanctis in […]

To the City of London by William Dunbar

To the City of London by William Dunbar London, thou art of town{.e}s A per se. Soveraign of cities, semeliest in sight, Of high renoun, riches, and royaltie; Of lordis, barons, and many goodly knyght; Of most delectable lusty ladies bright; Of famous prelatis in habitis clericall; Of merchauntis full of substaunce and myght: London, […]

To a Lady by William Dunbar

To a Lady by William Dunbar SWEET rois of vertew and of gentilness, Delytsum lily of everie lustynes, Richest in bontie and in bewtie clear, And everie vertew that is wenit dear, Except onlie that ye are mercyless Into your garth this day I did persew; There saw I flowris that fresche were of hew; […]

On the Nativity of Christ by William Dunbar

On the Nativity of Christ by William Dunbar RORATE coeli desuper! Hevins, distil your balmy schouris! For now is risen the bricht day-ster, Fro the rose Mary, flour of flouris: The cleir Sone, quhom no cloud devouris, Surmounting Phebus in the Est, Is cumin of his hevinly touris: Et nobis Puer natus est. Archangellis, angellis, […]

Lament for the Makers by William Dunbar

Lament for the Makers by William Dunbar I THAT in heill was and gladness Am trublit now with great sickness And feblit with infirmitie:– Timor Mortis conturbat me. Our plesance here is all vain glory, This fals world is but transitory, The flesh is bruckle, the Feynd is slee:– Timor Mortis conturbat me. The state […]

In Honour of the City of London by William Dunbar

In Honour of the City of London by William Dunbar LONDON, thou art of townes A per se. Soveraign of cities, seemliest in sight, Of high renoun, riches and royaltie; Of lordis, barons, and many a goodly knyght; Of most delectable lusty ladies bright; Of famous prelatis, in habitis clericall; Of merchauntis full of substaunce […]