Love

The Bonnie Bark

by Allan Cunningham 1784–1842

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, vol. 3 (1855–57)

Love

O come, my bonnie bark!
O'er the waves let us go,
With thy neck like the swan,
And thy wings like the snow.
Spread thy plumes to the wind,
For a gentle one soon
Must welcome us home,
Ere the wane of the moon.

The proud oak that built thee
Was nursed in the dew,
Where my gentle one dwells,
And stately it grew.
I hew'd its beauty down;
Now it swims on the sea,
And wafts spice and perfume,
My fair one, to thee.

Oh, sweet, sweet 's her voice,
As a low warbled tune;
And sweet, sweet her lips,
Like the rose-bud of June.
She looks to sea, and sighs,
As the foamy wave flows,
And treads on men's strength,
As in glory she goes.

Oh haste, my bonnie bark,
O'er the waves let us bound,
As the deer from the horn,
Or the hare from the hound.
Pluck down thy white plumes,
Sink thy keel in the sand,
Whene'er ye see my love,
And the wave of her hand.

MLA

Cunningham, Allan. “The Bonnie Bark.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/cunningham/6/.

Chicago

Cunningham, Allan. “The Bonnie Bark.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/cunningham/6/.

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