Broadside ballad entitled 'Burns and his Highland Mary'

Transcription

BURNS

And his Highland Mary.

In green Caledonia there ne'er were twa lovers,
Sae enraptured and happy in each ither's arms ;
As Burns the sweet bard, and his dear Highland Mary.
And fondly and sweetly he sang o' her charms.
And lang will his sang sae enchanting, and bonny,
Be heard wi' delight on his ain native plains ;
And lang will the sango his dear Highland Mary,
So secred to love in his heart-inciting strains.

O, 'twas a May-day and the flowers o' the simmer,
Were blooming in wildness a' lovely and fair ;
That our twa lovers met in a grove o' green bowers,
Which grew on the banks o' the sweet winding Ayr,
And O ! to thembaith 'twas a meeting fu' tender,
As it was the last for a while they could hae ;
Sae loves purest raptures they tasted together,
Till the red setting sun showed the close of the day.

O Mary, dear Mary, exclaimed her fond lover,
You carry my heart to the Highlands with thee ;
Every burnie and bank every grove and green bower,
May talk of the love o' my lassie and me.
My life's sweetest treasure my am charming Mary,
To thee I'll be ever devoted and true ;
For the heart that is beating sae fast in this bosom,
Is a heart that can never love ony but you.

O dinna bide lang in the Highlands my Mary,
O d nna bide lang in the Highlands frae me,
for I love you sincerely I love thee o'er dearly',
To be happy sae far my dear Mary frae thee.
I winna bide lang my lad in the Highlands,
I canna bide lang for you winna bo there ;
At the' I hae frin's I like weel in the Highlands,"
The ane I love best's on the banks o' the Ayr.

Then he kissed her red lips they were sweeter than roses,
And he strained her lily-white breast to his heart ;
And the tears fell like dew drops at e'en on his bosom,
As she said my fond lover, alas ! wo maun part.
Then farewell, he said and he flow frae his Mary,
O farewell said Mary ? she could say nae mair??
O little they thought they had parted for ever,
When they parted that night on the banks o' the Ayr.

Yet the green simmer saw but few sunny mornings,
Till she in the bloom o' her beauty and pride ;
Was laid in her grave like a bonny young flower,
In Greenock kirk-yard on the bunks o' the Clyde.
And Burns the sweet bard o' his ain Caledonia,
Lamented his Mary in many a sad strain ;
And sair did he weep for his dear Highland Mary,
And ne'er did his heart love so deeply again.

Then bring me the lilies, and bring me the roses,
And bring me the daises that grow in the vale ;
And bring me the dew o' the mild simmer evening,
And bring me the breath o' the sweet scented gale,
And bring me the sigh o' a fond lovers bosom,
And bring me the tear o' a fond lovers e'e ;
And I'll pour them a' doun on thy grave Highland Mary,
For the take o' thy Burns who dearly loved thee.

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