O, were I on Parnassus' Hill!

O, were I on Parnassus' hill!Or had of Helicon my fill;That I might catch poetic skill,To sing how dear I love thee.But Nith maun be my Muse's well,My Muse maun be thy bonie sel;On Corsincon I'll glowr and spell,And write how dear I love thee.

Then come, sweet Muse, inspire my lay!For a' the lee-lang simmer's day,I could na sing, I could na say,How much, how dear, I love thee.I see thee dancing o'er the green,Thy waist sae jimp, thy limbs sae clean,Thy tempting looks, thy roguish een—By Heaven and earth I love thee!

By night, by day, a-field, at hame,The thoughts o' thee my breast inflame;And aye I muse and sing thy nameI only live to love thee.Tho' I were doom'd to wander on,Beyond the sea, beyond the sun,Till my last weary sand was run;Till then—and then I'd love thee.