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[Page 174]
TO RUIN.
I.
1 ALL hail! inexorable lord!
2 At whose destruction-breathing word,
3 The mightiest empires fall!
4 Thy cruel, woe-delighted train,
5 The ministers of Grief and Pain,
6 A sullen welcome, all!
7 With stern-resolv'd, despairing eye,
8 I see each aimed dart;
9 For one has cut my dearest tye,
10 And quivers in my heart.
[Page 175]11 Then low'ring, and pouring,
12 The Storm no more I dread;
13 Tho' thick'ning, and black'ning,
14 Round my devoted head.
II.
15 And thou grim Pow'r, by Life abhorr'd,
16 While Life a pleasure can afford,
17 Oh! hear a wretch's pray'r!
18 No more I shrink appall'd, afraid;
19 I court, I beg thy friendly aid,
20 To close this scene of care!
21 When shall my soul, in silent peace,
22 Resign Life's joyless day?
23 My weary heart it's throbbings cease,
24 Cold-mould'ring in the clay?
25 No fear more, no tear more,
26 To stain my lifeless face,
27 Enclasped, and grasped,
28 Within thy cold embrace!
Source edition
Burns, Robert, 1759-1796. POEMS, CHIEFLY IN THE SCOTTISH DIALECT, BY ROBERT BURNS. Kilmarnock: printed by John Wilson, M,DCC,LXXXVI., 1786, pp. 174-175. 240p.; 8⁰. (ESTC T91548) (Page images digitized by National Library of Scotland.)
Editorial principles
Typography, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation have been cautiously modernized. The source of the text is given and all significant editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. This ECPA text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.
Other works by Robert Burns
- ADDRESS TO THE DEIL. ()
- ANOTHER. ()
- THE AULD FARMER'S NEW-YEAR-MORNING SALUTATION TO HIS AULD MARE, MAGGIE, ON GIVING HER THE ACCUSTOMED RIPP OF CORN TO HANSEL IN THE NEW-YEAR. ()
- THE AUTHOR'S EARNEST CRY AND PRAYER, TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND HONORABLE, THE SCOTCH REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. ()
- A BARD'S EPITAPH. ()
- THE COTTER'S SATURDAY NIGHT. INSCRIBED TO R. A****, Esq; ()
- THE DEATH AND DYING WORDS OF POOR MAILIE, THE AUTHOR'S ONLY PET YOWE, AN UNCO MOURNFU' TALE. ()
- A DEDICATION TO G**** H******* Esq; ()
- DESPONDENCY, AN ODE. ()
- A DREAM. ()
- EPIGRAM ON SAID OCCASION, ()
- EPISTLE TO A YOUNG FRIEND. ()
- EPISTLE TO DAVIE. A BROTHER POET. ()
- EPISTLE TO J. L*****K, AN OLD SCOTCH BARD. ()
- EPISTLE TO J. R******, ENCLOSING SOME POEMS. ()
- EPITAPH ON A HENPECKED COUNTRY SQUIRE. ()
- [EPITAPH] FOR G. H. Esq; ()
- [EPITAPH] FOR R. A. Esq; ()
- [EPITAPH] FOR THE AUTHOR'S FATHER. ()
- [EPITAPH] ON A CELEBRATED RULING ELDER. ()
- [EPITAPH] ON A NOISY POLEMIC. ()
- [EPITAPH] ON WEE JOHNIE. Hic jacet wee Johnie. ()
- THE FAREWELL. TO THE BRETHREN OF St. JAMES'S LODGE, TARBOLTON. ()
- HALLOWEEN. ()
- THE HOLY FAIR. ()
- THE LAMENT. OCCASIONED BY THE UNFORTUNATE ISSUE OF A FRIEND'S AMOUR. ()
- MAN WAS MADE TO MOURN, A DIRGE. ()
- ON A SCOTCH BARD GONE TO THE WEST INDIES. ()
- POOR MAILIE'S ELEGY. ()
- A PRAYER, IN THE PROSPECT OF DEATH. ()
- SCOTCH DRINK. ()
- SONG, COMPOSED IN AUGUST. ()
- SONG. ()
- SONG. ()
- TO A LOUSE, On Seeing one on a Lady's Bonnet at Church. ()
- TO A MOUNTAIN-DAISY, On turning one down, with the Plough, in April — 1786. ()
- TO A MOUSE, On turning her up in her Nest with the Plough, November, 1785. ()
- TO J. S****. ()
- TO THE SAME. ()
- TO W. S*****N, OCHILTREE. ()
- THE TWA DOGS, A TALE. ()
- THE VISION. ()
- WINTER, A DIRGE. ()