Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume II. Love. 1904. | | | | IV. Wooing and Winning | | “Duncan Gray cam’ here to woo” | | Robert Burns (1759–1796) |
| | | DUNCAN GRAY cam’ here to woo— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| On blythe Yule night when we were fou— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| Maggie coose her head fu’ high, | 5 |
| Looke asklent and unco skeigh, | |
| Gart poor Duncan stand abeigh— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| |
| Duncan fleeched and Duncan prayed— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | 10 |
| Meg was deaf as Ailsa craig— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| Duncan sighed baith out and in, | |
| Grat his een baith bleer’t and blin’, | |
| Spak o’ lowpin’ o’er a linn— | 15 |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| |
| Time and chance are but a tide— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| Slighted love is sair to bide— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | 20 |
| Shall I, like a fool, quoth he, | |
| For a haughty hizzie dee? | |
| She may gae to—France, for me! | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| |
| How it comes let doctors tell— | 25 |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| Meg grew sick as he grew heal— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| Something in her bosom wrings,— | |
| For relief a sigh she brings; | 30 |
| And O, her een they speak sic things! | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| |
| Duncan was a lad o’ grace— | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| Maggie’s was a piteous case— | 35 |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | |
| Duncan could na be her death: | |
| Swelling pity smoored his wrath. | |
| Now they ’re crouse and canty baith, | |
| Ha, ha! the wooing o’t! | 40 | | | |
|
|
