Poem by Robert Anderson

Nanny Peal

Eyes there are that never weep;
Hearts there are that never feel;
God keep them that can dui baith,
And sec was yence sweet Nanny Peal.
Tom Feddon was a sailor lad,
A better never sail'd saut sea;
The dang'rous rocks reet weel he knew,
The captain's favourite was he.

When out, and cronies drank or sang,
Or danc'd the jig, or leetsome reel,
Peer Tom wad sit him on the yard,
And fondly think o' Nanny Peal.
For, Oh she was a hearty lass,
A sweeter feace nin e'er did see;
And luive lurk'd in her twea breet een,
And innocence itsel was she.

Oft, i' the kurk, the neybor lads
At her a bashfu' luik wad steal;
Oft, at the markets, stare and point,
And whisper--``See! that's Nanny Peal.''
But Tom was aw her heart's deleyte;
And, efter voyages twee or three,
(In which he wad feyne presents bring,)
Baith fondly whop'd they'd married be.

And now this teyde they quit the pwort;
Tom wid a kiss his faith did seal;
They cry'd, they seegh'd, whop'd suin to meet--
'Twas hard to part wi' Nanny Peal!
The sea was cawm, the sky was clear,
The ship she watch'd while eye cud see;
``The voyage is shwort!'' she tremblin said,
``God send him seafe and suin to me!''

Afwore her peer auld mudder's duir,
She sung, and thowt, and turn'd her wheel;
But when that neet the storm com on,
Chang'd was the heart of Nanny Peal.
And sad was she the next lang day;
The third day warse--still warse grew she;
Alas! the fourth day brought the news,
Baith ship and men were lost at sea!

She heard, she fainted on the fluir;
Much did her peer auld mudder feel;
The neybors roun, baith auld and young,
Dropt monie a tear for Nanny Peal.
Sin that, she wanders aw day lang,
And gazes weyldly on the sea;
She's spent, peer thing, to skin and beane,
And ragged, wretched now is she.

Oft reydin on the wheyte--topp'd waves,
She sees her Tom towerts her steal;
And then she laughs, and caws aloud,
``O come, O come to Nanny Peal!''
God keep thee! helpless, luckless lass!
On earth thou munnet happy be;
But leyfe is wearin fast away--
Thou suin in Heav'n peer Tom wilt see. 

1. Epitaph on Maria of the Cottage
2. Feckless Wully
3. Song 1. A Lassie and a Gill
4. Epistle the First
5. The Happy Family

Print

1420 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version