Letter to James King: 11 September 1807
[M]r
James King Corporal Capt.
McDowal’s comp– Renfrewshire
Malitia Pevensey Barr England Paisley 11th Sep[t]
1807 Dear
Sir, I send you the following, and [as] I intend doing something with them – I wish you to write me immediately, and if you discern any thing that might be amended be so kind as let me know as it is for that purpose I send them. I will send you the others formerly mentioned first time I have leisure to write them --1 The Harper’s
Dirge. Ye
maids of green Erin why sigh ye so sad? The
summer is smiling, all nature is glad, The
summer may smile, and the shamrock may bloom But
the pride of green Erin lies cold in the tomb And
our tears still shall flow, – ’tis for Caroline we mourn, For
the soul of sweet Music now sleeps in his urn. O
ye Bards of our isle join our grief with your songs For
the Dirge of regret to his mem’ry belongs In
our cabins & fields, How
oft have we sung to his sweet melting strains But
those days of glad pleasure shall never return For
the soul of sweet music now sleeps in his urn Yes,
thou pride of green Erin, thy honours thou’lt have ˄[fair] thou shall have˄ Seven
days, seven nights, we shall weep round thy grave And
thy harp that so oft to our ditties has rung To
the lorn sighing breeze o’er thy grave shall be ˄hung˄ And
the song sh[all asc]end thy bright worth to proclaim That
thy shade may rejoice in the voice of thy fame But
our days of glad pleasure shall never return For
the soul of sweet music now sleeps in thy urn Song I
mark’d a gem of pearly dew While
wand’ring near yon misty mountain Which bore the tender blade so low It
dropt it off into the fountain: So
thou hast wrung this gentle heart Which in its core was proud to wear
thee Till
drooping, sick beneath thy art It
sighing found it could not bear thee. Adieu,
thou faithless fair unkind! Thy
falsehood dooms that we must sever Thy
vows were as the passing wind That
fans the flow’r, then dies, forever So,
think not that this gentle heart Which
in its cor[e] was proud to wear thee Shall
longer dro[op] beneath thy art No
— cruel fair, it cannot bear thee. Song O
sair I rue the w[it]less wish That gar’d me gan[g] wi’ you at e’en An’
sair I rue the birken bush That screen’d us [w]i’ its leaves
sae green An’
tho’ ye vow’d y[e] wad be mine The tear o’ grief a[y] dims my e’e, For,
O I’m fear’d that I may tyne The luve that ye hae promis’d me! While
ithers seek th[e]ir e’ening sports I wander dowie a’ my lane For
when I join their glad resorts Their daffin gies me meikle pain Alas!
it wasna’ sae shortsyne When a’ my nights were spent wi’ glee; But,
O I’m fear’d that The luve that ye hae promis’d me Dear
lassie keep thy heart aboon For I hae
wair’d my winter’s fee I’ve
coft a bonny silken gown To be a bridal gift for thee An’
sooner shall the hills fa’ down An’ mountain-heigh shall stan’ the sea Ere
I’d accept a gowden crown To change that luve I bear for thee. P.S.
Be particular in writing on receipt of this, and if you think there is one word
that might be alter’d for the better let me know – please dont show this
d–—able scrawl to any body – Believe
me yours &c R.
Tannahill Emendations Mr
• [à]r Sept
• Sep[à] fair • f[ààà] shall be hung • shall
˄hung˄ be shall ascend • sh[ààà
àà]end core • cor[à] droop • dro[à]p witless • wi[àà]ess gang • gan[à] wi’
• w[à]’ ye • y[à] their • th[à]ir gies • gie[à] sae • s[à]e Copy
Text: MS Robertson 1/8 Previous
Publications: Notes:
1 Songs are arranged in two columns with solid dividing lines. “The
Harper’s Dirge” appears in the left column. Below it, “Song (I marked a gem
...)” begins, breaking to the second column after the first stanza ends at line
8. Below the second stanza of “Song (I marked a gem ...)” appears “Song (O sair
I rue ...)” |