18
"Oh! green," said I, "are Yarrow's Holms,
"And sweet is Yarrow flowing!
"Fair hangs the apple frae the rock[1],
"But we will leave it growing.
"O'er hilly path, and open Strath,
"We'll wander Scotland thorough;
"But, though so near, we will not turn
"Into the Dale of Yarrow.
"Let Beeves and home-bred Kine partake
"The sweets of Burn-mill meadow;
"The Swan on still St. Mary's Lake
"Float double, Swan and Shadow!
"We will not see them; will not go,
"To-day, nor yet to-morrow;
"Enough if in our hearts we know
"There's such a place as Yarrow
"Be Yarrow Stream unseen, unknown!
"It must, or we shall rue it:
"We have a vision of our own;
"Ah! why should we undo it?
"The treasured dreams of times long past,
"We'll keep them, winsome Marrow!
"For when we're there although 'tis fair
"'Twill be another Yarrow!
- ↑ See Hamilton's Ballad as above.