Thou Gloomy December / Robert Burns

Thou Gloomy December

Ance mair I hail thee, thou gloomy December!
    Ance mair I hail thee wi' sorrow and care:
Sad was the parting thou makes me remember –
    Parting wi' Nancy, oh! ne'er to meet mair!

Fond lovers' parting is sweet, painful pleasure,
    Hope beaming mild on the soft parting hour;
But the dire feeling, O farewell for ever!
    Is anguish unmingled, and agony pure!

Wild as the winter now tearing the forest,
    Till the last leaf o' the summer is flown,
Such is the tempest has shaken my bosom,
    Till my last hope and last comfort is gone!

Still as I hail thee, thou gloomy December,
    Still shall I hail thee wi' sorrow and care;
For sad was the parting thou makes me remember,
    Parting wi' Nancy, oh! ne'er to meet mair.

~~
Robert Burns (1759-1796), 1791

from Scots Musical Museum, 1796

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

Robert Burns biography

"Thou Gloomy December" read by Robert Carlyle. Courtesy Robert Carlyle Italia.

Auld Lang Syne / Robert Burns

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
    And never brought to min'?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
    And auld lang syne!

Chorus:   For auld lang syne, my dear,
                For auld lang syne,
                We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
                For auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint stowp!
    And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
    For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,
    And pu’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit
    Sin’ auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’t i' the burn,
    From morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
    Sin’ auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fere,
    And gie’s a hand o’ thine;
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught
    For auld lang syne.

~~
Robert Burns (1759-1796), 1788

from Selections from the Poems, 1898

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

Robert Burns biography

"Auld Lang Syne" sung by Dougie MacLean. Courtesy  butterstonestudios.

Winter: A Dirge / Robert Burns

Winter: A Dirge

    I

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 day.


    II

"The sweeping blast, the sky o'ercast,"
The joyless winter day
Let others fear, to me more dear
Than all the pride of May:
The tempest's howl, it soothes my soul,
My griefs it seems to join;
The leafless trees my fancy please,
Their fate resembles mine!


    III

Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme
These woes of mine fulfil,
Here firm I rest; they must be best,
Because they are Thy will!
Then all I want - O do Thou grant
This one request of mine!-
Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,
Assist me to resign.

~~
Robert Burns (1759-1796), 1781
from Poems: Chiefly in the Scottish dialect, 1793

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

Robert Burns biography

"Winter: A Dirge" read for LibriVox. Courtesy Vintage Entertainment.

A Red, Red Rose / Robert Burns

A Red, Red Rose

O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That’s sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee well, my only Luve
And fare thee well, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

---
Robert Burns (1759-1796)
1794

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

Robert Burns biography

"A Red, Red Rose" read by Christopher Tait. Courtesy Robert Burns Live