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On a Scotch Bard Gone to the West Indies


 A' ye wha live by sowps o' drink, A' ye wha live by crambo-clink, A' ye wha live and never think, Come, mourn wi' me! Our billie's gien us a' a jink, An' owre the Sea. Lament him a' ye rantan core, Wha dearly like a random-splore; Nae mair he'll join the merry roar, In social key; For now he's taen anither shore, An' owre the Sea! The bonie lasses weel may wiss him, And in their dear petitions place him: The widows, wives, an' a' may bless him, Wi' tearfu' e'e; For weel I wat they'll sairly miss him That's owre the Sea! O Fortune, they hae room to grumble! Hadst thou taen aff some drowsy bummle, Wha can do nought but fyke an' fumble, 'Twad been nae plea; But he was gleg as ony wumble, That's owre the Sea! Auld, cantie Kyle may weepers wear, An' stain them wi' the saut, saut tear: 'Twill mak her poor, auld heart, I fear, In flinders flee: He was her Laureat monie a year, That's owre the Sea! He saw Misfortune's cauld Nor-west Lang-mustering up a bitter blast; A Jillet brak his heart at last, Ill may she be! So, took a birth afore the mast, An' owre the Sea. To tremble under Fortune's cummock, On a scarce a bellyfu' o' drummock, Wi' his proud, independant stomach, Could ill agree; So, row't his hurdies in a hammock, An' owre the Sea. He ne'er was gien to great misguidin, Yet coin his pouches wad na bide in; Wi' him it ne'er was under hidin; He dealt it free: The Muse was a' that he took pride in, That's owre the Sea. Jamaica bodies, use him weel, An' hap him in cozie biel: Ye'll find him ay a dainty chiel, An' fou o' glee: He wad na wrang'd the vera Deil , That's owre the Sea. Farewell, my rhyme-composing billie! Your native soil was right ill-willie; But may ye flourish like a lily, Now bonilie! I'll toast ye in my hindmost gillie, Tho' owre the Sea!

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Blythe Duff

About this work

This is a poem by Robert Burns. It was written in 1786 and is read here by Blythe Duff.

More about this poem

Burns composed 'On a Scotch Bard Gone to the West Indies' in 1786. At the time of composition Burns was planning to emigrate to Jamaica.

Earlier that year, Burns had contracted an irregular marriage with Jean Armour who was pregnant with the poet's twins. Jean Armour's parents disapproved of the union and took steps to dissolve it by destroying what Burns later referred to as an 'unlucky paper' (the document that articulated the couple's intentions).

Jean's parents then sent her to Paisley to distance her from the poet and to conceal her pregnancy for as long as possible. Robert Burns was eventually dissuaded from emigrating by the success of his Kilmarnock Edition (1786) and the promise of a further edition to be published in Edinburgh.

Pauline Mackay

Themes for this poem

brotherhoodfriendship

Selected for 27 September

Burns had been perfectly serious about his decision to emigrate. But there was always the hope, the dream, the serious prospect, of some alteration in circumstances that would let him stay in Scotland. On September 27th, 1786 the Bard, sensing the imminence of an upturn in his fortunes, postponed the passage to Jamaica he had booked. Jean Armour had borne him twins and the Kilmarnock Edition had been a huge hit at the end of July. In the various pre-emptive farewells he penned there is always a playful, self aggrandising sense of how would Scotland manage without him! Here too, he leaves his readers and listeners in no doubt as to what they would be missing...

Donny O'Rourke

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