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Jamie, come try me, Jamie, come try me, If thou would win my love, Jamie, come try me. If thou should ask my love, Could I deny thee? If thou would win my love, Jamie, come try me! If thou should kiss me, love, Wha could espy thee? If thou wad be my love, Jamie, come try me! Jamie, come try me, Jamie, come try me, If thou would win my love, Jamie, come try me.
This is a song by Robert Burns. It was written in 1789 and is read here by Phyllis Logan.
Iain MacdonaldThough no 'original' of this song has been uncovered 'The finished simplicity of the song, and the variations in II. 9-11, (compared with a version in Oswald's Curious Scots Tunes, 1742, ii. 26, and CPC, 1745, ii. 34) suggest Burns's work' (Kingsley).
As with 'thou hast left me ever', the poem is a declaration of allegiance to the exiled Stuart line and the unyielding loyalty to James II, and a commitment to take up arms; 'If thou should ask my love/ Could I deny thee?'
2012 being a leap year, tradition suggests that women make use of the bonus day in the calendar to propose to the man of their choice. Anyone seeking a little last minute encouragement before taking the nuptial initiative could do no better than to follow the example of this lovely song of invitation and encouragement, written from a woman's point of view. Whatever his failings as a man of his time, Burns could adopt a female persona with great insight and empathy and the voices he used were often those of strong 'feisty' women. In the original song he revised and adapted, the speaker was a man. The role reversal was therefore very deliberate. So open, honest and tenderly direct, the long-vowelled, frankly yearning words were set to a sweet, swooping slow air worthy of them in every way. Simply sublime.
Donny O'Rourke
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