The Book of Scottish Song/The Auld Folks

The Auld Folks.

[Andrew Park.—Here first printed.]

The auld folks sit by the fire,
When the winter nichts are chill,
The auld wife she plies her wire,
The auld man he quaffs his yill.
An' meikle an' lang they speak
O' their youthfu' days gane by,
When the rose it was on the cheek,
An' the pearl was on the eye!

They talk o' their bairnies' bairns,
They talk o' the brave and free,
They talk o' their mountain-cairns,
And they talk of the rolling sea,—
And meikle an' lang they speak
O' their youthfu' days gane by,
When the rose it was on the cheek,
An' the pearl was on the eye!

They talk o' their friends lang gane,
And the tear-draps blin' their e'e;
They talk o' the cauld kirk stane,
Whare sune they baith maun be.
Yet each has had their half
O' the joys o' this fitful sphere,
So whiles the auld folk laugh,
And whiles they drap a tear!

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