Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A MITHER, BUT NO A WIFE, by JAMES M. NEILSON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A MITHER, BUT NO A WIFE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Whist, my bonnie bairnie, dinna greet sae sair
Last Line: Thy smiles the only sun-blinks ever on me fa'.
Subject(s): Man-woman Relationships; Mothers; Male-female Relations


A CRADLE SONG.
WHIST, my bonnie bairnie, dinna greet sae sair,
Mither's heart is breakin', dinna rack it mair;
Whist, my darlin' tootie, cradlie-ba' an' sleep --
Nicht is unco eerie, life is unco steep.

An' the waefu' win's sough, wailin' in the lum,
'Minds me o' the kirkyard, whaur are sleepin' some
Wadna' see us wrang't sae; tho' there's ithers keep
Steekit doors against us -- sleep, my bairnie, sleep.

Fausely did the man woo, wily did he win,
Then he left me -- whist, doo -- to the lash o' sin;
Left the burden a' mine -- hoo it crushes doon! --
Sorrow drooks the hale warl', an' the heavens froon!

Frien's, wha wad be guid folk, banish me frae hame,
Thinkin' in this big toon they may hide the shame:
Aiblins they may fin' yet, in this warl wide,
Want o' kindly pity, worth o' hollow pride.

Hidden lies the future -- O, it's dark to me!
But for your sake, tootie, I could thole to dee,
Sittin' in the shadows hope can ne'er dispel,
Dreedin' aye the warst comes, e'er on sinner fell.

Gin ye winna sleep, bairn, come to mither's arms;
Ay, ye'll lauch an' craw noo, prood as ye had farms
Growin' owre wi' ripe corn: lauch an' craw awa',
Thy smiles the only sun-blinks ever on me fa'.





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