Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE LINTWHITE, by JAMES SMITH (1824-)



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE LINTWHITE, by                    
First Line: A lintwhite sat in her mossy nest
Last Line: "why tarries my love sae lang?"
Subject(s): Birds


A LINTWHITE sat in her mossy nest,
Ae eerie morn in spring,
An' lang she look'd at the cauld grey lift,
Wi' the wee birds under her wing.
An' aye as she lookit, wi' shiverin' breist
Sae waesomely she sang:
"O tell me true, ye winds that blaw,
Why tarries my love sae lang?

"I've socht him down i' the fairy glen,
An' far owre the lanely lea; --
I've socht him down i' yon saft green yird,
An' high on the birken tree; --
I've socht till the wee things cried me hame,
Wi' mony a heavy pang;
O tell me true, ye winds that blaw,
Why tarries my love sae lang?"

"O waly!" the norland breezes moan'd,
"Sae weel may thy heart be sair;
For the hawk's awa' with thy ain true love,
An' he'll sing thee a sang nae mair!
Fu' wae was his fate on yon auld aik tree,
That aft wi' his warblin' rang!
Noo speir nae mair, wee shiverin' bird,
Why tarries thy love sae lang!"

The lintwhite flew frae her mossy nest,
For she couldna thole the sting;
An' she flichter'd east, and she flichter'd west,
Till she droukit her downy wing;
An' aye as she flutter'd the lee-lang day,
Sae wild an' sae shrill she sang:
"O tell me -- tell me true, ye winds,
Why tarries my love sae lang?"





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