Duncan Gray

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



1     Duncan Gray came here to woo,
2         Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
3     On blythe Yule night when we were fou,
4         Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
5     Maggie coost her head fu high,
6     Look'd asklent and unco skeigh,
7     Gart poor Duncan stand abeigh;
8         Ha, ha, the wooin o't!

9     Duncan fleech'd, and Duncan pray'd,
10       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
11   Meg was deaf as Ailsa Craig,
12       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
13   Duncan sigh'd baith out and in,
14   Grat his een baith bleer't and blin',
15   Spak o' lowpin owre a linn;
16       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!

17   Time and chance are but a tide,
18       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
19   Slighted love is sair to bide,
20       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
21   'Shall I, like a fool,' quoth he,
22   'For a haughty hizzie die?
23   She may gae to--France for me!'--
24       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!

25   How it comes let doctors tell,
26       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
27   Meg grew sick as he grew hale,
28       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
29   Something in her bosom wrings,
30   For relief a sigh she brings;
31   And O! her een, they spak sic things
32       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!

33   Duncan was a lad o' grace,
34       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
35   Maggie's was a piteous case,
36       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!
37   Duncan could na be her death,
38   Swelling pity smoor'd his wrath;
39   Now they're crouse and cantie baith;
40       Ha, ha, the wooin o't!

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 10, 2023

1:27 min read
204

Quick analysis:

Scheme XABABBXA XAXACCCA DADAAXAA XAXAEEEA EAEAFXFA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,383
Words 270
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

All Robert Burns poems | Robert Burns Books

10 fans

Discuss the poem Duncan Gray with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Duncan Gray" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/30488/duncan-gray>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    13
    hours
    48
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote "I have taken the bones you hardened and built daughters"?
    A Lucille Clifton
    B Maya Angelou
    C Robert Hayden
    D Sylvia Plath