Friday, March 18, 2005

Mary's Song
I wad ha'e gi'en him my lips tae kiss,
Had I been his, had I been his;
Barley breid and elder wine,
Had I been his as he is mine.

The wanderin' bee it seeks the rose;
Tae the lochan's bosom the burnie goes;
The grey bird cries at evenin's fa',
'My luve, my fair one, come awa' .'

My beloved sall ha'e this he'rt tae break,
Reid, reid wine and the barley cake;
A he'rt tae break, an' a mou' tae kiss,
Tho' he be nae mine, as I am his.
Marion Angus (1854-1944)

Marion Angus is considered a minor Scots poet, but she wrote some very beautiful poems. In fact they're more like songs, and a few have been set to music. The only image I can ever find of her is the one here, but I wonder what she looked like in her youth.