Scottish Poetry Selection
- The Pleasures O' Hame

Here is another poem of "Bairns and Bairnhood" by Charles Nicol, although at least this time his homely wife gets a mention too, as he describes the pleasures of home life.


The Pleasures O' Hame

A short hameart lay tae the wife that I hae,
   A kind-hearted, thrifty wee dame,
Wha sings night an' day, like the warblers in May,
   A moment's attention may claim.

When worn oot at nicht, what can gie sic delicht
   As tae see at the clean hearthstane sittin',
Sympathetic an' true, the wifie ye lo'e,
   While the wean busy plays wi' the kitten?

I've a wee toddlin' wean, wha can lisp gey an' plain
   Pleasant words, such as "Mamma an' Da';
The wee trottin' feet, losh, to see them's a treat;
   She's the pawkiest wean ye e'er saw.

Oh, happy's the hame whaur fond hearts beat the same,
   And waitna' wi' fear for the morrow;
Whaur sunbeams o' joy ever shine to destroy
   And the progress retard o' fell sorrow.

By nicht an' by day I maist fervently pray,
   May the sun o' prosperity shine
On the wean an' the wife, dearest treasures o' life,
   And the love which I bear never tyne.

Meaning of unusual words:
hameart = homely
losh = an exclamation (corrupt form of Lord)
pawkiest = knowing, artful, lively
tyne = lose

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