The Bour-Tree Den

5Loud on the causey, saft on the sand,

6Round they rade by the tail of the land;

7Round and up by the Bour-Tree Den,

8Weary fa' the red-coat men!

9Aft hae I gane where they hae rade

10And straigled in the gowden brooms -

11Aft hae I gane, a saikless maid,

12And O! sae bonny as the bour-tree blooms!

13Wi' swords and guns they wanton there,

14Wi' red, red coats and braw, braw plumes.

15But I gaed wi' my gowden hair,

16And O! sae bonny as the bour-tree blooms!

17I ran, a little hempie lass,

18In the sand and the bent grass,

19Or took and kilted my small coats

20To play in the beached fisher-boats.

21I waded deep and I ran fast,

22I was as lean as a lugger's mast,

23I was as brown as a fisher's creel,

24And I liked my life unco weel.

25They blew a trumpet at the cross,

26Some forty men, both foot and horse.

27A'body cam to hear and see,

28And wha, among the rest, but me.

29My lips were saut wi' the saut air,

30My face was brown, my feet were bare

31The wind had ravelled my tautit hair,

32And I thought shame to be standing there.

33Ae man there in the thick of the throng

34Sat in his saddle, straight and strong.

35I looked at him and he at me,

36And he was a master-man to see.

37. . . And who is this yin? and who is yon

38That has the bonny lendings on?

39That sits and looks sae braw and crouse?

40. . . Mister Frank o' the Big House!

41I gaed my lane beside the sea;

42The wind it blew in bush and tree,

43The wind blew in bush and bent:

44Muckle I saw, and muckle kent!

45Between the beach and the sea-hill

46I sat my lane and grat my fill -

47I was sae clarty and hard and dark,

48And like the kye in the cow park!

49There fell a battle far in the north;

50The evil news gaed back and forth,

51And back and forth by brae and bent

52Hider and hunter cam and went:

53The hunter clattered horse-shoe-airn

54By causey-crest and hill-top cairn;

55The hider, in by shag and shench,

56Crept on his wame and little lench.

57The eastland wind blew shrill and snell,

58The stars arose, the gloaming fell,

59The firelight shone in window and door

60When Mr. Frank cam here to shore.

61He hirpled up by the links and the lane,

62And chappit laigh in the back-door-stane.

63My faither gaed, and up wi' his han'!

64. . . Is this Mr. Frank, or a beggarman?

65I have mistrysted sair, he said,

66But let me into fire and bed;

67Let me in, for auld lang syne,

68And give me a dram of the brandy wine.

69They hid him in the Bour-Tree Den,

70And I thought it strange to gang my lane;

71I thought it strange, I thought it sweet,

72To gang there on my naked feet.

73In the mirk night, when the boats were at sea,

74I passed the burn abune the knee;

75In the mirk night, when the folks were asleep,

76I had a tryst in the den to keep.

77Late and air', when the folks were asleep,

78I had a tryst, a tryst to keep,

79I had a lad that lippened to me,

80And bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

81O' the bour-tree leaves I busked his bed,

82The mune was siller, the dawn was red:

83Was nae man there but him and me -

84And bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

85Unco weather hae we been through:

86The mune glowered, and the wind blew,

87And the rain it rained on him and me,

88And bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

89Dwelling his lane but house or hauld,

90Aft he was wet and aft was cauld;

91I warmed him wi' my briest and knee -

92And bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

93There was nae voice of beast ae man,

94But the tree soughed and the burn ran,

95And we heard the ae voice of the sea:

96Bour-tree blossom is fair to see!