Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE WEE STRANGER, by JOHN HYSLOP


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE WEE STRANGER, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Noo, whatna totum's this we've got
Last Line: God bless the bonnie bairns!
Subject(s): Fairies; Elves


Noo, whatna totum's this we've got
That mak's sae muckle din?
What angel ope'd the gates o' life
An' let this fairy in?

It was on a Sabbath morning,
In autumn o' the year,
When this waunert sprite sair greeting
To oor fireside drew near.

We clasp'd it up within oor airms,
Happ'd it warm an' cosie;
This queer wee fairy wife we've got
Cuddling in oor bosie.

She winna let us sleep o' nichts,
Her wee bit yaum'ring cry
Creeps to us in the land o' dreams,
Whaur safe an' soun' we lie.

An' ye'll no want my bonnie pet,
Though we should toil an' slave
Oor fingers to the bane, ye'll get
Yer pick amang the lave.

There's sic a steer aboot the hoose
Since Baby Janet cam',
She's made her hame in a' oor hearts,
The wee bit guileless lam'.

Wee Nan's as prood as if she were
The leddy o' the lan',
An' Jim, since put in the stirks-sta',
Has grown a perfect man.

Big steering Jack, an' a' the lave,
Maun ken whaur it cam' frae;
They mak' us lee in spite o' fate
Full twenty times a day.

God bless the bairns! the future times'
Braw women an' brave men --
A bairnless hoose maun surely hae
A cheerless ingle-en'.

I pity sair thae soulless cuifs,
Wi' hearts as cauld as airn,
Wha dinna loe the prattlings sweet
And kisses o' a bairn.

They bring us glints o' Paradise,
They'll big oor fun'ral cairns,
They cheer us baith in life an' death --
God bless the bonnie bairns!





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