Highland Mary

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



Ye banks, and braes, and streams around
     The castle o' Montgomery,
Green be your woods, and fair your flowers,
     Your waters never drumlie!
There Simmer first unfald her robes,
     And there the langest tarry:
For there I took the last Fareweel
     O' my sweet Highland Mary.

How sweetly bloom'd the gay, green birk,
     How rich the hawthorn's blossom;
As underneath their fragrant shade,
     I clasp'd her to my bosom!
The golden Hours, on angel wings,
     Flew o'er me and my Dearie;
For dear to me as light and life
     Was my sweet Highland Mary.

Wi' mony a vow, and lock'd embrace,
     Our parting was fu' tender;
And pledging aft to meet again,
     We tore oursels asunder:
But Oh, fell Death's untimely frost,
     That nipt my Flower sae early!
Now green's the sod, and cauld's the clay,
     That wraps my Highland Mary!

O pale, pale now, those rosy lips
     I aft hae kiss'd sae fondly!
And clos'd for ay, the sparkling glance,
     That dwalt on me sae kindly!
And mouldering now in silent dust,
     That heart that lo'ed me dearly!
But still within my bosom's core
     Shall live my Highland Mary.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 21, 2023

1:01 min read
229

Quick analysis:

Scheme XAXBXABA XCXCXAXA XDXDXABA XAXAXAXA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,105
Words 192
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

All Robert Burns poems | Robert Burns Books

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