'Written by Burns in honour of Miss Lesley Baillie of Ayrshire, afterwards Mrs. Cumming of Logie, and sent to Thomson's collection for the tune of "The Collier's Bonnie Lassie." The poet, in a letter to Mrs Dunlop dated August, 1792, thus describes the cause and manner of the composition of this song. "Know that the heart-struck awe, the distant humble approach, the delight we should have in gazing upon and listening to a messenger of heaven, appearing in all the unspotted purity of his celestial home, among the coarse, polluted, far inferior sons of men, to deliver to them tidings that make their hearts swim in joy, and their imaginations soar in transport—such, so delighting and so pure, were the emoyions of my soul on meeting the other day with Miss Lesley Baillie, your neighbour. Mr. Baillie, with his two daughters, accompanied by Mr. H. of G., passing through Dumfries a few days ago, on their way to England, did me the honour of calling on me; on which I took my horse (though God knows I could ill spare the time,) and accompanied them fourteen or fifteen miles, and dined and spent the day with them. 'Twas about nine, I think, when I left them; and riding home, composed the following ballad."' —Alexander Whitelaw, The Book of Scottish Song (1843)
