I die by treacherie:
It burns my heart I must depart,
And not avenged be.

V.

Now farewell light--thou sunshine bright,
And all beneath the sky!
May coward shame distain his name,
The wretch that dares not die!
Sae rantingly, sae wantonly,
Sae dauntingly gaed he;
He play'd a spring, and danc'd it round,
Below the gallows-tree.

* * * * *

XXXVIII.

BRAW LADS OF GALLA WATER.

Tune--"_Galla Water._"

[Burns found this song in the collection of Herd; added the first
verse, made other but not material emendations, and published it in
Johnson: in 1793 he wrote another version for Thomson.]

CHORUS.

Braw, braw lads of Galla Water;
O braw lads of Galla Water:
I'll kilt my coats aboon my knee,
And follow my love thro' the water.

I.

Sae fair her hair, sae brent her brow,
Sae bonny blue her een, my dearie;
Sae white her teeth, sae sweet her mou',
The mair I kiss she's ay my dearie.

II.

O'er yon bank and o'er yon brae,
O'er yon moss amang the heather;
I'll kilt my coats aboon my knee,
And follow my love thro' the water.

III.

Down amang the broom, the broom,
Down amang the broom, my dearie,
The lassie lost a silken snood,
That cost her mony a blirt and bleary.
Braw, braw lads of Galla Water;
O braw lads of Galla-Water:
I'll kilt my coats aboon my knee,
And follow my love thro' the water.

* * * * *

XXXIX.

STAY, MY CHARMER.

Tune-"_An Gille dubh ciar dhubh._"

[The air of this song was picked up by the poet in one of his northern
tours: his Highland excursions coloured many of his lyric
compositions.]

I.

Stay, my charmer, can you leave me?
Cruel, cruel, to deceive me!
Well you know how much you grieve me;
Cruel charmer, can you go?
Cruel charmer, can you go?

II.

By my love so ill requited;
By the faith you fondly plighted;
By the pangs of lovers slighted;
Do not, do not leave me so!
Do not, do not leave me so!

* * * * *

XL.

THICKEST NIGHT, O'ERHANG MY DWELLING.

Tune--"_Strathallan's Lament._"

[The Viscount Strathallan, whom this song commemorates, was William
Drummond: he was slain at the carnage of Cu