The Book of Scottish Song/When life was gay

When life was gay.

[Tune, "My only jo and dearie, O."]

When life was gay, an' hope was young,
Nae cares to mak' me eerie, O,
By birken shaw I sat an' sung,
An' tuned my pipe fa' cheerie, O;
Nae birdie, singin' frae the tree,
Was hauf sae blythe, sae gay as me,
Till tost upon life's troubled sea,
I traversed lang an' wearie, O.

How changed were then the lightsome hours,
When beat my heart sae rarely, O,
When far frae Clutha's sylvan bowers,
Misfortune skelpt me sairly, O.—
I sought the long embattled line,
Eager in glory's path to shine—
But dool cam' owre the hapless time
I yielded to the fairlie, O.

But sin' the dearest bliss o' man,
That wyles our way sae drearie, O,
The brawest lass in a' the lan',
Smiles on me kind an' cheerie,;
Contented wi' my peacefu' lot,
My sorrows now are a' forgot;
An' monie mae I wad bear for't,
If blest wi' thee, my dearie, O!

O woman, man's delight an' care!
The sweetest pride o' nature, O,
Reposes on her bosom fair,
Sits smilin' on ilk feature, O!
Man may be bold, he may be strong,
May figure through life's chequer'd throng,
But still the bard, in deathless song,
The chief o' warks will rate her, O!

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