"What's Yarrow but a River bare "That glides the dark hills under? "There are a thousand such elsewhere "As worthy of your wonder." -Strange words they seem'd of slight and scorn; My True-love sigh'd for sorrow; And look'd me in the face, to think I thus could speak of Yarrow!' "Oh! green," said I, "are Yarrow's Holms, "And sweet is Yarrow flowing! "Fair hangs the apple frae the rock*, "But we will leave it growing. "O'er hilly path, and open Strath, "We'll wander Scotland thorough; · But, though so near, we will not turn "Into the Dale of Yarrow. *See Hamilton's Ballad as above.. "Let Beeves and home-bred Kine partake "The sweets of Burn-mill meadow; "The Swan on still St. Mary's Lake "Float double, Swan and Shadow! "We will not see them; go, 66 will not Today, nor yet tomorrow; Enough if in our hearts we know, "There's such a place as Yarrow. "Be Yarrow Stream unseen, unknown! "It must, or we shall rue it: "We have a vision of our own; "Ah! why should we undo it? "The treasured dreams of times long past "We'll keep them, winsome Marrow! "For when we're there although 'tis fair ""Twill be another Yarrow! "If Care with freezing years should come, "And wandering seem but folly, "Should we be loth to stir from home, "And yet be melancholy; "Should life be dull, and spirits low, ""Twill soothe us in our sorrow "That earth has something yet to show, "The bonny Holms of Yarrow! |