By T. C. Latto
O hark to the strain that sae120-1 sweetly is ringin’,
And echoing clearly o’er lake and o’er lea,120-2
Like some fairy bird in the wilderness singin’;
It thrills to my heart, yet nae120-3 minstrel I see.
Round yonder rock knittin’, a dear child is sittin’,
Sae toilin’ her pitifu’ pittance120-4 is won,
Hersel’ tho’ we see nae,120-5 ’tis mitherless120-6 Jeanie—
The bonnie120-7 blind lassie that sits i’ the sun.
Five years syne come autumn120-8 she cam’120-9 wi’ her mither,
A sodger’s120-10 puir120-11 widow, sair120-12 wasted an’ gane;120-13
As brown fell the leaves, sae wi’ them did she wither,
And left the sweet child on the wide world her lane.121-14
She left Jeanie weepin’, in His holy keepin’
Wha121-15 shelters the lamb frae121-16 the cauld121-17 wintry win’;
We had little siller,121-18 yet a’ were good till her,
The bonnie blind lassie that sits i’ the sun.
An’ blythe now an’ cheerfu’, frae mornin’ to e’enin
She sits thro’ the simmer, an’ gladdens ilk121-19 ear,
Baith121-20 auld and young daut121-21 her, sae gentle and winnin’;
To a’ the folks round the wee lassie is dear.
Braw121-22 leddies121-23 caress her, wi’ bounties would press her;
The modest bit121-24 darlin’ their notice would shun;
For though she has naething, proud-hearted this wee thing,
The bonnie blind lassie that sits i’ the sun.
120-1 Sae is the Scotch word for so.120-2 A lea is a grassy field or meadow.120-3 Nae means no.120-4 Pittance means small earnings.120-5 Nae is not.120-6 Mither is the Scotch form of mother.120-7 Bonnie means pretty.120-8 Since come autumn; that is, it will be nine years next autumn.120-9 Cam’ is a contraction of came.120-10 Sodger’s is soldier’s.120-11 Puir is the Scotch spelling of poor.120-12 Sair is sore, that is, sadly.120-13 Gane means gone.121-14 Her lane means by herself.121-15 Wha is Scotch for who.121-16 Frae means from.121-17 Cauld is the Scotch form of cold.121-18 Siller means silver money, or simply money.121-19 Ilk means every.121-20 Baith is Scotch for both.121-21 Daut means pet.121-22 Braw means fine, or gay.121-23 Leddies is the Scotch form of ladies.121-24 Bit means little.
