Mythology & Folklore

The Hazlewood Witch

by Richard Gall 1776–1801

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, vol. 2 (1855–57)

Mythology & Folklore

For mony lang year I hae heard frae my grannie
Of brownies an' bogles by yon castle wa',
Of auld wither'd hags that were never thought cannie,
An' fairies that danced till they heard the cock caw.
I leugh at her tales; an' last owk, i' the gloamin',
I daunder'd, alane, down the hazelwood green;
Alas! I was reckless, and rue sair my roamin',
For I met a young witch, wi' twa bonnie black e'en.

I thought o' the starns in a frosty night glancing,
Whan a' the lift round them is cloudless an' blue;
I looked again, an' my heart fell a-dancing,
When I wad hae spoken, she glamour'd my mou'.
O wae to her cantrips! for dumpish I wander,
At kirk or at market there 's nought to be seen;
For she dances afore me wherever I daunder,
The hazelwood witch wi' the bonnie black e'en.

MLA

Gall, Richard. “The Hazlewood Witch.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/gall/8/.

Chicago

Gall, Richard. “The Hazlewood Witch.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/gall/8/.

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