The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence. / With a New Life of the Poet, and Notices, Critical and Biographical by Allan Cunningham

by Robert Burns; Allan Cunningham

MY HOGGIE.

Tune—“What will I do gin my Hoggie die?”

[Burns was struck with the pastoral wildness of this Liddesdale air, and wrote these words to it for the Museum: the first line only is old.]

What will I do gin my Hoggie die?
My joy, my pride, my Hoggie!
My only beast, I had nae mae,
And vow but I was vogie!
The lee-lang night we watch’d the fauld,
Me and my faithfu’ doggie;
We heard nought but the roaring linn,
Amang the braes sae scroggie;
But the houlet cry’d frae the castle wa’,
The blitter frae the boggie,
The tod reply’d upon the hill,
I trembled for my Hoggie.
When day did daw, and cocks did craw,
The morning it was foggie;
An’ unco tyke lap o’er the dyke,
And maist has kill’d my Hoggie.

---

XLII.

HER DADDIE FORBAD.

Tune—“Jumpin’ John.”

[This is one of the old songs which Ritson accuses Burns of amending for the Museum: little of it, however, is his, save a touch here and there—but they are Burns’s touches.]

I.