Traditional Scottish Songs
- Verses to A Robin Redbreast
James Montgomery (1771-1854) was born in Ayrshire and in 1794 became editor of the Sheffield Iris. At that time, free speech was not as established as it is today - and the government were nervous of the potential ripple effect of the French Revolution. So, for the offence of printing some verses of a song celebrating the fall of the Bastile, he was libelled as "a wicked, malicious, seditious, and evil-disposed person." He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in the Castle of York. He was condemned to a second imprisonment of six months shortly afterwards, for inserting in his paper an account of a local riot in which he was considered to have cast aspersions on a colonel of volunteers. His spell in jail did at least allow him more time to write poems ands songs - such as this one!
Verses to A Robin Redbreast
(Which Visits the Window
of My Prison Every Day)Welcome, pretty little stranger!
Welcome to my lone retreat!
Here, secure from every danger,
Hop about, and chirp, and eat:
Robin! how I envy thee,
Happy child of Liberty!Now, though tyrant Winter, howling,
Shakes the world with tempests round,
Heaven above with vapours scowling,
Frost imprisons all the ground:
Robin! what are these to thee?
Thou art bless'd with liberty.Though yon fair majestic river
Mourns in solid icy chains,
Though yon flocks and cattle shiver
On the desolated plains:
Robin! thou art gay and free,
Happy in thy liberty.Hunger never shall disturb thee,
While my rates one crumb afford;
Colds nor cramps shall ne'er oppress thee;
Come and share my humble board:
Robin! come and live with me -
Live, yet still at liberty.Soon shall Spring, in smiles and blushes,
Steal upon the blooming year;
Then, amid the enamour'd bushes,
Thy sweet song shall warble clear:
Then shall I, too, join with thee -
Swell the hymn of Liberty.Should some rough, unfeeling dobbin,
In this iron-hearted age,
Seize thee on thy nest, my Robin,
And confine thee in a cage,
Then, poor prisoner! think of me -
Think, and sigh for liberty.
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
