My mammie coft me a new gown,
The kirk maun hae the gracing o't;
Were I to lie wi' you, kind Sir,
I'm fear'd ye'd spoil the lacing o't.
I'm owre young, &c.

Hallowmas is come and gane,

The nights are lang in winter, Sir;
And you an' I in ae bed,

In troth I dare na venture, Sir.
I'm owre young, &c.

Fu' loud and shrill the frosty wind
Blaws thro' the leafless timmer, Sir;
But if ye come this gate again,
I'll aulder be gin simmer, Sir.
I'm owre young, &c.

DAMON AND SYLVIA.

TUNE- THE TITHER MORN, AS I FORLORN."

YON wand'ring rill, that marks the hill,
And glances o'er the brae, Sir:
Slides by a bower where monie a flower
Sheds fragrance on the day, Sir.

There Damon lay, with Sylvia gay:

To love they thought nae crime, Sir; The wild-birds sang, the echoes rang, While Damon's heart beat time, Sir.

MY LADY'S GOWN THERE'S GAIRS UPON'T.

CHORUS.

My lady's gown there's gairs upon't,
And gowden flowers sae rare upon't;
But Jenny's jimps and jirkinet,
My lord thinks muckle mair upon't.

My lord a-hunting he is gane,

But hounds or hawks wi' him are nane,
By Colin's cottage lies his game,

If Colin's Jenny be at hame.
My lady's gown, &c.

My lady's white, my lady's red,
And kith and kin o' Cassillis' blude,
But her ten-pund lands o' tocher guid
Were a' the charms his lordship lo'ed.
My lady's gown, &c.

Out o'er yon muir, out o'er yon moss,
Whare gor-cocks thro' the heather pass,
There wons auld Colin's bonnie lass,
A lily in a wilderness.

My lady's gown, &c.

Sae sweetly move her genty limbs,
Like music notes o' lover's hymns:
The diamond dew in her een sae blue,
Where laughing love sae wanton swims.
My lady's gown, &c.

My lady's dink, my lady's drest,
The flower and fancy o' the west;
But the lassie that a man lo'es best,
O that's the lass to make him blest.
My lady's gown, &c.

O AY MY WIFE SHE DANG ME. §

CHORUS.

O ay my wife she dang me,
An' aft my wife she bang'd me;
If ye gie a woman a' her will,
Guid faith she'll soon o'ergang ye.

ΟΝ peace

and rest my

mind was bent,

And fool I was I marry'd;

But never honest man's intent
As cursedly miscarry'd.

Some sairie comfort still at last,
When a' thir days are done, man,
My pains o' hell on earth is past,
I'm sure o' bliss aboon, man.
O ay my wife, &c.

This song occurs in Johnson's Museum, and is there attributed to Burns.

THE BANKS OF NITH.||

A BALLAD.

To thee, lov'd Nith, thy gladsome plains,
Where late wi' careless thought I rang'd,
Though prest wi' care and sunk in woe,
To thee I bring a heart unchang'd.

I love thee, Nith, thy banks and braes,
Tho' mem'ry there my bosom tear;'
For there he rov'd that brake my heart,
Yet to that heart, ah, still how dear!2

BONNIE PEG.

As I came in by our gate end,
As day was waxin' weary,

O wha came tripping down the street,
But bonnie Peg, my dearie!

Tho' there Remembrance wake the tear.
VAR. 2 still only dear.

fondly

This song occurs in Thomson's Collection, (vol. vi. p. 62,) but it is there addressed to the Dee, instead of the Nith. There are some other variations, and a second verse is added by another writer. The variations here given are from a copy in the poet's own hand. It was printed by Cromek as it stands in the text.

This song was first published in the Edinburgh Magazine for 1818.

Her air sae sweet, and shape complete,
Wi' nae proportion wanting,
The Queen of Love did never move
Wi' motion mair enchanting.

Wi' linked hands, we took the sands
A-down yon winding river;

And, oh! that hour and broomy bower,
Can I forget it ever?

O LAY THY LOOF IN MINE, LASS.||

CHORUS.

O lay thy loof in mine, lass,
In mine, lass, in mine, lass,
And swear in thy white hand, lass,
That thou wilt be my ain.

A SLAVE to love's unbounded sway,
He aft has wrought me meikle wae;
But now he is my deadly fae,

Unless thou be my ain.

O lay thy loof, &c.

This Song is inserted in Johnson's Museum with Burns'

name.