O ONCE I lov’d a bonie lass,
  Ay, and I love her still;
And whilst that virtue warms my breast,
  I’ll love my handsome Nell.
 

As bonie lasses I hae seen,
  And mony full as braw;
But, for a modest gracefu’ mein,
  The like I never saw.
 

A bonie lass, I will confess,
  Is pleasant to the e’e;
But, without some better qualities,
  She’s no a lass for me.
 

But Nelly’s looks are blythe and sweet,
  And what is best of a’,
Her reputation is complete,
  And fair without a flaw.
 

She dresses aye sae clean and neat,
  Both decent and genteel;
And then there’s something in her gait
  Gars ony dress look weel.
 

A gaudy dress and gentle air
  May slightly touch the heart;
But it’s innocence and modesty
  That polishes the dart.
 

’Tis this in Nelly pleases me,
  ’Tis this enchants my soul;
For absolutely in my breast
  She reigns without control.


 Note 1. The first of my performances.—R. B. [back]

Added: on April 15th, 2005 at 4:08 PM | Viewed: 1013 times | Comments (1)

Poet: Robert Burns
Poem: 1. 1. Song—Handsome Nell
Volume: Poems and Songs. The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.
Year: Published/Written in 1779

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