This said, poor Mailie turn’d her head,
     And clos’d her een amang the dead!

Poor Mailie’s Elegy

     Lament in rhyme, lament in prose,
     Wi’ saut tears trickling down your nose;
     Our bardie’s fate is at a close,
     Past a’ remead! 
     The last, sad cape-stane o’ his woes;
     Poor Mailie’s dead!

     It’s no the loss o’ warl’s gear,
     That could sae bitter draw the tear,
     Or mak our bardie, dowie, wear
     The mourning weed: 
     He’s lost a friend an’ neebor dear
     In Mailie dead.

     Thro’ a’ the town she trotted by him;
     A lang half-mile she could descry him;
     Wi’ kindly bleat, when she did spy him,
     She ran wi’ speed: 
     A friend mair faithfu’ ne’er cam nigh him,
     Than Mailie dead.

     I wat she was a sheep o’ sense,
     An’ could behave hersel’ wi’ mense: 
     I’ll say’t, she never brak a fence,
     Thro’ thievish greed. 
     Our bardie, lanely, keeps the spence
     Sin’ Mailie’s dead.

     Or, if he wanders up the howe,
     Her living image in her yowe
     Comes bleating till him, owre the knowe,
     For bits o’ bread;
     An’ down the briny pearls rowe
     For Mailie dead.

     She was nae get o’ moorland tips,
     Wi’ tauted ket, an’ hairy hips;
     For her forbears were brought in ships,
     Frae ’yont the Tweed. 
     A bonier fleesh ne’er cross’d the clips
     Than Mailie’s dead.

     Wae worth the man wha first did shape
     That vile, wanchancie thing—­a raip! 
     It maks guid fellows girn an’ gape,
     Wi’ chokin dread;
     An’ Robin’s bonnet wave wi’ crape
     For Mailie dead.

     O, a’ ye bards on bonie Doon! 
     An’ wha on Ayr your chanters tune! 
     Come, join the melancholious croon
     O’ Robin’s reed! 
     His heart will never get aboon—­
     His Mailie’s dead!

Song—­The Rigs O’ Barley

     Tune—­“Corn Rigs are bonie.”

     It was upon a Lammas night,
     When corn rigs are bonie,
     Beneath the moon’s unclouded light,
     I held awa to Annie;
     The time flew by, wi’ tentless heed,
     Till, ’tween the late and early,
     Wi’ sma’ persuasion she agreed
     To see me thro’ the barley.

     Corn rigs, an’ barley rigs,
     An’ corn rigs are bonie: 
     I’ll ne’er forget that happy night,
     Amang the rigs wi’ Annie.

     The sky was blue, the wind was still,
     The moon was shining clearly;
     I set her down, wi’ right good will,
     Amang the rigs o’ barley: 
     I ken’t her heart was a’ my ain;
     I lov’d her most sincerely;

     I kiss’d her owre and owre again,
     Amang the rigs o’ barley. 
     Corn rigs, an’ barley rigs, &c.