Lament of Mary Queen of Scots on the Approach of Spring
Queen Mary's Lament----
1
Now Nature hangs her mantle green
On every blooming tree,
And spreads her sheets o' daisies white
Out o'er the grassy lea;
Now Phoebus cheers the crystal streams
And glads the vernal azure skies,
But nought can glad the carefu' wight
That fast in durance lies.----
2
Now laverocks wake the merry morn,
Aloft on dewy wing;
The merle in his noontide bower
Makes woodland echoes ring:
The mavis mild wi' mony a note
Sings drowsy day to rest;
In love & freedom they rejoice,
Wi' care nor thrall opprest.----
3
Now blooms the lily by the bank,
The primrose down the brae
1
Now Nature hangs her mantle green
On every blooming tree,
And spreads her sheets o' daisies white
Out o'er the grassy lea;
Now Phoebus cheers the crystal streams
And glads the vernal azure skies,
But nought can glad the carefu' wight
That fast in durance lies.----
2
Now laverocks wake the merry morn,
Aloft on dewy wing;
The merle in his noontide bower
Makes woodland echoes ring:
The mavis mild wi' mony a note
Sings drowsy day to rest;
In love & freedom they rejoice,
Wi' care nor thrall opprest.----
3
Now blooms the lily by the bank,
The primrose down the brae
The hawthorn's budding in the glen,
And milkwhite is the slae:
The meanest hind in a fair Scotla'nd
May rove thir sweets amang,
But I, the Queen of a' Scotla'nd
Maun lie in prison strong.----
4
I was the Queen o' bonie France,
Where happy I hae been;
Fu' lightly rose I on the morn,
As blythe lay down at e'en:
And I'm the Sovereign of Scotla'nd
And mony a traitor there;
Yet here I lie in foreign bands
And never-ending care.----
5
But as for thee thou false woma'n,
My sister & my fae,
Grim Vengeance yet sha'll whet a sword
That through thy soul shall gae!
The
And milkwhite is the slae:
The meanest hind in a fair Scotla'nd
May rove thir sweets amang,
But I, the Queen of a' Scotla'nd
Maun lie in prison strong.----
4
I was the Queen o' bonie France,
Where happy I hae been;
Fu' lightly rose I on the morn,
As blythe lay down at e'en:
And I'm the Sovereign of Scotla'nd
And mony a traitor there;
Yet here I lie in foreign bands
And never-ending care.----
5
But as for thee thou false woma'n,
My sister & my fae,
Grim Vengeance yet sha'll whet a sword
That through thy soul shall gae!
The
The weeping blood in woman's breast
Was never known to thee;
Nor th' balm that draps fraeon wounds of woe
Frae Woman's pitying e'e .----
6
My Son, my Son, may kinder Stars
Upon thy Fortune shine;
And may those Pleasures gild thy reign
That ne'er would blink on mine!
God keep thee frae thy Mother's faes,
Or turn their hearts to thee!
And where thou meetest thy Mother's friend,
Remember him for me!
7
O, soon, to me may Summer suns--
Nae mair light up the morn!
Nae mair to me the Autumn winds
Wave o'er the yellow corn!
And in the narrow house of Death
May Winter round me rave!
And the next mornflowers that decks the Spring
Bloom on my peaceful grave!
_____________________________________
Was never known to thee;
Nor th' balm that draps fraeon wounds of woe
Frae Woman's pitying e'e .----
6
My Son, my Son, may kinder Stars
Upon thy Fortune shine;
And may those Pleasures gild thy reign
That ne'er would blink on mine!
God keep thee frae thy Mother's faes,
Or turn their hearts to thee!
And where thou meetest thy Mother's friend,
Remember him for me!
7
O, soon, to me may Summer suns--
Nae mair light up the morn!
Nae mair to me the Autumn winds
Wave o'er the yellow corn!
And in the narrow house of Death
May Winter round me rave!
And the next mornflowers that decks the Spring
Bloom on my peaceful grave!
_____________________________________

Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/07
- Alt. number
- 3.6103
- Date
- 1790
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Lament of Mary Queen of Scots on the Approach of Spring