The Book of Scottish Song/There'll never be peace

There’ll never be peace.

[This fine Jacobitical song was a contribution of Burns to Johnson's Museum. The original name of the tune is, "There 's few gude fellows when Jamie's awa'," and it appears with that titlo in Oswald's Caledonian Pocket Companion, (1740.) Sometimes it is called, "There 's few gude fellows when Willie's awa'." The words of the old song are supposed to be lost.]

By yon castle-wa', at the close o' the day,
I heard a man sing, though his head it was grey;
And as he was singing, the tears down came—
There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.

The church is in ruins, the state is in jars,
Delusions, oppressions, and murderous wars:
We daurna weel say't, but we ken wha's to blame,—
There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.

My seven braw sons for Jamie drew sword,
And now I greet round their green beds in the yird:
It brak the sweet heart o' my faithfu' auld dame—
There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.

Now life is a burden that bows me down,
Since I tint my bairns, and he tint his crown;
But till my last moments my words are the same,—
There'll never be peace till Jamie comes hame.

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