Section: «Poems»

Verse (ancient Greek ὁ στίχος — row, structure), a term in versification used in several meanings: artistic speech organized by division into rhythmically commensurate segments; poetry in the narrow sense; in particular, it implies the properties of versification of a particular tradition ("antique verse", "Akhmatova's verse", etc.); a line of poetic text organized according to a certain rhythmic pattern ("My uncle of the most honest rules").

Man Was Made To Mourn: A Dirge

WHEN chill November's surly blastMade fields and forests bare,One ev'ning, as I wander'd forthAlong the banks of Ayr,I spied a man, whose aged..

© Robert Burns

Nature's Law: A Poem

LET other heroes boast their scars,The marks of sturt and strife:And other poets sing of wars,The plagues of human life:Shame fa' the fun, wi' sword..

© Robert Burns

The Fall Of The Leaf

THE LAZY mist hangs from the brow of the hill,Concealing the course of the dark-winding rill;How languid the scenes, late so sprightly, appear!As..

© Robert Burns

Caledonia: A Ballad

THERE was once a day, but old Time wasythen young,That brave Caledonia, the chief of her line,From some of your northern deities sprung,(Who knows..

© Robert Burns

One Night As I Did Wander

ONE night as I did wander,When corn begins to shoot,I sat me down to ponderUpon an auld tree root;Auld Ayr ran by before me,And bicker'd to the..

© Robert Burns

The Henpecked Husband

Chorus.—Robin shure in hairst,I shure wi' him.Fient a heuk had I,Yet I stack by him.I GAED up to Dunse,To warp a wab o' plaiden,At his daddie's..

© Robert Burns

The Rights Of Women—spoken By Miss Fontenelle

WHILE Europe's eye is fix'd on mighty things,The fate of Empires and the fall of Kings;While quacks of State must each produce his plan,And even..

© Robert Burns

314. Song—there'Ll Never Be Peace Till Jamie Comes Hame

BY yon Castle wa', at the close of the day,I heard a man sing, tho' his head it was grey:And as he was singing, the tears doon came,—There'll never..

© Robert Burns

I Love My Love In Secret

MY Sandy gied to me a ring,Was a' beset wi' diamonds fine;But I gied him a far better thing,I gied my heart in pledge o' his ring.Chorus.—My Sandy O..

© Robert Burns

Written By Somebody On The Window Of An Inn At Stirling

HERE Stuarts once in glory reigned,And laws for Scotland's weal ordained;But now unroof'd their palace stands,Their sceptre's sway'd by other..

© Robert Burns

The Vision

THE SUN had clos'd the winter day,The curless quat their roarin play,And hunger'd maukin taen her way,To kail-yards green,While faithless snaws ilk..

© Robert Burns

Farewell To Eliza

FROM thee, Eliza, I must go,And from my native shore;The cruel fates between us throwA boundless ocean's roar:But boundless oceans, roaring..

© Robert Burns

Song—the Winter Of Life

BUT lately seen in gladsome green,The woods rejoic'd the day,Thro' gentle showers, the laughing flowersIn double pride were gay:But now our joys are..

© Robert Burns

I Murder Hate

I MURDER hate by flood or field,Tho' glory's name may screen us;In wars at home I'll spend my blood—Life-giving wars of Venus.The deities that I..

© Robert Burns

The Song Of Death

FAREWELL, thou fair day, thou green earth, and ye skies,Now gay with the broad setting sun;Farewell, loves and friendships, ye dear tender ties,Our..

© Robert Burns

Ballad On The American War

WHEN Guilford good our pilot stoodAn' did our hellim thraw, man,Ae night, at tea, began a plea,Within America, man:Then up they gat the..

© Robert Burns

Epigram On A Suicide

EARTH'D up, here lies an imp o' hell,Planted by Satan's dibble;Poor silly wretch, he's damned himsel',To save the Lord the trouble.

© Robert Burns

Song—farewell To The Highlands

FAREWELL to the Highlands, farewell to the North,The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth;Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,The hills of the..

© Robert Burns

357. A Grace Before Dinner

O THOU who kindly dost provideFor every creature's want!We bless Thee, God of Nature wide,For all Thy goodness lent:And if it please Thee, Heavenly..

© Robert Burns

379. Song—fragment—love For Love

ITHERS seek they ken na what,Features, carriage, and a' that;Gie me love in her I court,Love to love maks a' the sport.Let love sparkle in her..

© Robert Burns

The Soldier's Return: A Ballad

WHEN wild war's deadly blast was blawn,And gentle peace returning,Wi' mony a sweet babe fatherless,And mony a widow mourning;I left the lines and..

© Robert Burns

A Prayer In The Prospect Of Death

O THOU unknown, Almighty CauseOf all my hope and fear!In whose dread presence, ere an hour,Perhaps I must appear!If I have wander'd in those pathsOf..

© Robert Burns

Open The Door To Me, Oh

OH, open the door, some pity to shew,Oh, open the door to me, oh,Tho' thou hast been false, I'll ever prove true,Oh, open the door to me, oh.Cauld is..

© Robert Burns

A Mother's Lament For Her Son's Death

FATE gave the word, the arrow sped,And pierc'd my darling's heart;And with him all the joys are fledLife can to me impart.By cruel hands the sapling..

© Robert Burns

Sonnet On The Author's Birthday

SING on, sweet thrush, upon the leafless bough,Sing on, sweet bird, I listen to thy strain,See aged Winter, 'mid his surly reign,At thy blythe carol..

© Robert Burns