Swallows travel to and fro,
And the great winds come and go,
And the steady breezes blow,
Bearing perfume, bearing love.
Breezes hasten, swallows fly,
Towered clouds forever ply,
And at noonday, you and I
See the same sunshine above.
Dew and rain fall everywhere,
Harvests ripen, flowers are fair,
And the whole round earth is bare
To the moonshine and the sun;
And the live air, fanned with wings,
Bright with breeze and sunshine, brings
Into contact distant things,
And makes all the countries one.
Let us wander where we will,
Something kindred greets us still;
Something seen on vale or hill
Falls familiar on the heart;
So, at scent or sound or sight,
Severed souls by day and night
Tremble with the same delight—
Tremble, half the world apart.
TO MESDAMES ZASSETSKY AND GARSCHINE
The wind may blaw the lee-gang way
And aye the lift be mirk an’ gray,
An deep the moss and steigh the brae
Where a’ maun gang—
There’s still an hoor in ilka day
For luve and sang.
And canty hearts are strangely steeled.
By some dikeside they’ll find a bield,
Some couthy neuk by muir or field
They’re sure to hit,
Where, frae the blatherin’ wind concealed,
They’ll rest a bit.
An’ weel for them if kindly fate
Send ower the hills to them a mate;
They’ll crack a while o’ kirk an’ State,
O’ yowes an’ rain:
An’ when it’s time to take the gate,
Tak’ ilk his ain.
—Sic neuk beside the southern sea
I soucht—sic place o’ quiet lee
Frae a’ the winds o’ life. To me,
Fate, rarely fair,
Had set a freendly company
To meet me there.
Kindly by them they gart me sit,
An’ blythe was I to bide a bit.
Licht as o’ some hame fireside lit
My life for me.
—Ower early maun I rise an’ quit
This happy lee.