INVERQUHARITY
Aside the Quharity burn
I ken na what I’m seein’
Wi’ the licht near deein’
An’ the lang year at the turn;
But the dog that gangs wi’ me
Creeps whingein’ at my knee,
And we baith haud thegither
Like a lad an’ his brither
At the water o’ Quharity.
Alang the Quharity glen
I mind on warlock’s faces,
I’ the still, dark places
Whaur the trees hae airms like men;
And I ken the beast can see
Yon een that’s watchin’ me,
Whaur the arn-boughs darken
An’ I’m owre fear’d to harken
I’ the glen o’ Quharity.
By Quharity Castle wa’s
The toor is like a prison,
Or a deid man risen
Amang the birken shaws;
And the sweit upon my bree
Is drappin’ cauld frae me
Till the ill spell’s broken
By the Haly Word spoken
At the wa’s o’ Quharity.
Alang the Valley o’ Deith
There’ll be mony a warlock wait’n
Wi’ the thrangin’ hosts o’ Sat’n
Till I tak’ my hin’maist breith;
An’ I’m fear’d there winna be
The dog to gang wi’ me
An’ I doot the way is wearier
An’ the movin’ shadows eerier
Than the jaws o’ Quharity.
But I’ll whisper the Haly Name
For thae list’nin’ lugs to hear me,
An’ the herds o’ Hell’ll fear me
An’ tak’ the road they came;
For the wild dark wings’ll flee
Frae their bield in branch an’ tree—
Nae mair the black airms thrawin’!
Nae mair the ill sough blawin’!
For my day o’ days is dawin’
Owre the Castle o’ Quharity!