Cream of Tannahill's Songs (3)/The Summer Gloamin
For other versions of this work, see "The Midges Dance Aboon the Burn".
THE SUMMER GLOAMIN.
The midges dance aboon the burn,The dew begins to fa',The pairtricks, down the rushy howm,Set up their e'ening ea';Now loud and clear the blackbird's sangRings through the briery shaw,While, fleeting gay, the swallows playAround the castle wa'.
Beneath the gowden gloaming skyThe mavis mends his lay,The redbreast pours its sweetest strains,To charm the lingering day;While weary yeldrins seem to wailTheir little nestlings torn,The merry wren, frae den to den,Gaes jinking through the thorn.
The roses fauld their silken leaves,The foxglove shuts its bell,The honey-suckle and the birkSpread fragrance through the dell.Let others crowd the giddy courtOf mirth and revelry,The simple joys that nature yieldsAre dearer far to me.