Living

I Dream’d I Lay

by Robert Burns 1759–1796

From Poems and Songs, 1771–1779

Living

I dream’d I lay where flowers were springing
Gaily in the sunny beam;
List’ning to the wild birds singing,
By a falling crystal stream:
Straight the sky grew black and daring;
Thro’ the woods the whirlwinds rave;
Tress with aged arms were warring,
O’er the swelling drumlie wave.

Such was my life’s deceitful morning,
Such the pleasures I enjoyed:
But lang or noon, loud tempests storming
A’ my flowery bliss destroy’d.
Tho’ fickle fortune has deceiv’d me—
She promis’d fair, and perform’d but ill,
Of mony a joy and hope bereav’d me—
I bear a heart shall support me still.

MLA

Burns, Robert. “I Dream’d I Lay.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/burns/9/.

Chicago

Burns, Robert. “I Dream’d I Lay.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/burns/9/.

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