Inglis Collection of printed music > Printed music > Songs of Scotland adapted to their appropriate melodies > Volume 1

CA' THE YOWES TO THE KNOWES.
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My bon - nie dear - ie.
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We'll gang doun by Cluden side,
Through the hazels spreading wide
O'er the waves that sweetly glide,
To the moon sae clearly.
Yonder Cluden's silent towers,
Where, at moonshine midnight hours,
O'er the dewy bending flowers
The fairies dance sae cheerie.
Ghaist nor bogle shalt thou fear :
Thou'rt to love and heaven sae dear,
Nocht of ill may come thee near,
My bonnie dearie.
Fair and lovely as thou art,
Thou hast stoun my very heart ;
I can die — but canna part,
My bonnie dearie.
"Ca' the towes to the knowes." In a letter to Mr. G. Thomson, September 1794, Burns says, "I am
flattered at your adopting ' Ca' the yowes to the knowes,' as it was owing to me that it saw the light. About
seven years ago, I was well acquainted with a worthy little fellow of a clergyman, a Mr. Clunie, who sung it
charmingly ; and, at my request, Mr. Clarke took it down from his singing. When I gave it to Johnson, I added
some stanzas to the song, and mended others, but still it will not do for you. In a solitary stroll which I took
to-day, I tried my hand on a few pastoral lines, following up the idea of the chorus, which I would preserve.
Here it is, with all its crudities and imperfections on its head." This is the song which we have given with the
wild and pretty air which Burns thus rescued from oblivion. He saved many other good melodies from being
lost ; and, for this alone, Scotland owes him another debt of gratitude. This fact is not generally known, and is
not alluded to by bis biographers. Captain Charles Gray, R.M., in his " Cursory remarks on Scottish Song," was
the first to point out our obligations to Burns in this respect.
The Cluden, or Clouden, is a river in Dumfries-shire, which rises near the feet of the Criffel hills, and falls into
the Nith, nearly opposite to Lincluden College.
Following up what we have quoted above from Burns, it may not be out of place here to state in his own words
his ideas of music and song, and his mode of composing verses to airs thai pleased him, or that were sent to him
for verses. The passages are from his letters to Mr. George Thomson. " November 8, 1792. There is a peculiar
rhythmus in many of our airs, and a necessity of adapting syllables to the emphasis, or what I would call the
feature notes, of the tune, that cramp the poet, and lay him under almost insuperable difficulties." " September,
1793. Until I am complete master of a tune in my own singing, (such as it is,) I never can compose for it.
My way is : I consider the poetic sentiment correspondent to my idea of the musical expression ; then choose my
theme ; begin one stanza ; when that is composed, which is generally the most difficult part of the business, I
walk out, sit down now and then, look out for objects in nature around me, that are in unison or harmony with
the cogitations of my fancy, and workings of my bosom ; humming every now and then the air with the verses I
have framed. When I feel my muse beginning to jade, I retire to the solitary fireside of my study, and there
commit my effusions to paper, swinging at intervals on the hind legs of my elbow-chair, by way of calling forth
my own critical strictures, as my pen goes on. Seriously, this at home, is almost invariably my way."
That Burns had a fine feeling for the simple melodies of his country, the following extracts will show : " April,
1793. I have still several MS. Scots airs by me which I have picked up, mostly from the singing of country
lasses. They please me vastly ; but your learned lugs would perhaps be displeased with the very feature for
which I like them. I call them simple ; you would pronounce them silly." " September, 17! 3. You know that
my pretensions to musical taste are merely a few of nature's instincts, untaught and untutored by art. For this
reason, many musical compositions, particularly where much of the merit lies in counterpoint, however they may
transport and ravish the ears of you connoisseurs, affect my simple lug no otherwise than merely as melodious
din. On the other hand, by way of amends, I am delighted with many little melodies, which the learned musician
despises as silly and insipid." " September, 1794. Not to compare small things with great, my taste in musio is
like the mighty Frederick of Prussia's taste in painting : we are told that he frequently admired what the con-
noisseurs decried, and always without any hypocrisy confessed his admiration," &c.