015 Behold The Hour, The Boat Arrive

(Second Version)

Tune: Oran gaoil

1．

Behold the hour, the boat arrive!

Thou goest, the darling of my heart!

Sever'd from thee, can I survive?

But fate has will'd and we must part.

I'll often greet the surging swell,

Yon distant Isle will often hail: —

‘E'en here I took the last farewell;

There, latest mark'd her vanish'd sail.’

2．

Along the solitary shore,

While flitting sea-fowl round me cry,

Across the rolling, dashing roar,

I'll westward turn my wistful eye: —

‘Happy, thou Indian grove,’ I'll say,

‘Where now my Nancy's path may be!

While thro' thy sweets she loves to stray,

O, tell me, does she muse on me?’

Notes

Title Behold The Hour, The Boat Arrive: See The Moment, The Boat Arrive

This poem was written for Agnes McLehose who was about to leave Scotland for Jamaica in December 1791 after failing to be reunited with her husband who chose to stay with a mistress. This is the second version of the same title. It was first printed in 1800.

Stanza 1

Line 1 arrive: arrives. This is a grammatical mistake. Here Burns did not pay attention to grammar for the sake of rhyme.

Line 2 goest: go. This is the singular form of the second person.

Line 3 Sever'd: severed, parted

Line 4 will'd: arranged

Line 5 surging swell: rough seas

Line 6 Yon: yonder, over there

Line 7 E'en: even

Line 8 mark'd: marked; vanish'd: vanished

Stanza 2

Line 4 wistful: expectant

Line 7 thro': through; stray: wander, stroll

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