500. Bonnie Lesley

Robert Burns. 1759-1796


O SAW ye bonnie Lesley
  As she gaed o'er the Border?
She 's gane, like Alexander,
  To spread her conquests farther.

To see her is to love her,
  And love but her for ever;
For Nature made her what she is,
  And ne'er made sic anither!

Thou art a queen, fair Lesley,
  Thy subjects we, before thee:
Thou art divine, fair Lesley,
  The hearts o' men adore thee.

The Deil he couldna scaith thee,
  Or aught that wad belang thee;
He'd look into thy bonnie face
  And say, 'I canna wrang thee!'

The Powers aboon will tent thee,
  Misfortune sha'na steer thee:
Thou'rt like themsel' sae lovely,
  That ill they'll ne'er let near thee.

Return again, fair Lesley,
  Return to Caledonie!
That we may brag we hae a lass
  There 's nane again sae bonnie!


scaith
harm
steer
molest
tent
watch
The Oxford Book of English Verse, HTML edition