Love
Oh! Bonnie Are the Howes
From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, vol. 4 (1855–57)
Oh! bonnie are the howes
And sunny are the knowes
That feed the kye and yowes
Where my life's morn dawn'd;
And brightly glance the rills
That spring amang the hills
And ca' the merry mills
In my ain dear land.
But now I canna see
The lammies on the lea,
Nor hear the heather bee
On this far, far strand.
I see nae father's ha',
Nae burnie's waterfa',
But wander far awa'
Frae my ain dear land.
My heart was free and light,
My ingle burning bright,
When ruin cam' by night
Through a foe's fell hand.
I left my native air,
I gaed to come nae mair;
And now I sorrow sair
For my ain dear land.
But blithely will I bide
Whate'er may yet betide
When ane is by my side
On this far, far strand.
My Jean will soon be here
This waefu' heart to cheer,
And dry the fa'ing tear
For my ain dear land.
Cite this poem
MLA
Smibert, Thomas. “Oh! Bonnie Are the Howes.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/smibert/2/.
Chicago
Smibert, Thomas. “Oh! Bonnie Are the Howes.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/smibert/2/.
Read this poem with the Codex →