A Portrait of Robert Burns Robert Burns

1794 · Song

The Lover’s Morning Salute to His Mistress


Tune ·  Deil tak the wars

Sleep’st thou, or wak’st thou, fairest creature?Rosy morn now lifts his eye,Numbering ilka bud which NatureWaters wi’ the tears o’ joy.Now, to the streaming fountain,Or up the heathy mountain,The hart, hind, and roe, freely, wildly-wanton stray;In twining hazel bowers,Its lay the linnet pours,The laverock to the skyAscends, wi’ sangs o’ joy,While the sun and thou arise to bless the day.12
Phoebus gilding the brow of morning,Banishes ilk darksome shade,Nature, gladdening and adorning;Such to me my lovely maid.When frae my Chloris parted,Sad, cheerless, broken-hearted,The night’s gloomy shades, cloudy, dark, o’ercast my sky:But when she charms my sight,In pride of Beauty’s light—When thro’ my very heartHer burning glories dart;’Tis then—’tis then I wake to life and joy!24
Year
1794
Form
Song
Location
Dumfries
Tune
Deil tak the wars
Source
Project Gutenberg #1279 — Poems and Songs of Robert Burns