The Bour-Tree Den

CLINKUM-CLANK in the rain they ride,

Down by the braes and the grey sea-side;

Clinkum-clank by stane and cairn,

Weary fa’ their horse-shoe-airn!

Loud on the causey, saft on the sand,

Round they rade by the tail of the land;

Round and up by the Bour–Tree Den¹,

Weary fa’ the red-coat men!

Aft hae I gane where they hae rade

And straigled in the gowden brooms —

Aft hae I gane, a saikless maid,

And O! sae bonny as the bour-tree blooms!

Wi’ swords and guns they wanton there,

Wi’ red, red coats and braw, braw plumes².

But I gaed wi’ my gowden hair,

And O! sae bonny as the bour-tree blooms!

I ran, a little hempie lass,

In the sand and the bent³ grass,

Or took and kilted my small coats

To play in the beached fisher-boats.

I waded⁴ deep and I ran fast,

I was as lean as a lugger’s mast,

I was as brown as a fisher’s creel,

And I liked my life unco weel.

They blew a trumpet⁵ at the cross,

Some forty men, both foot and horse.

A’body cam to hear and see,

And wha, among the rest, but me.

My lips were saut wi’ the saut air,

My face was brown, my feet were bare

The wind had ravelled my tautit hair,

And I thought shame to be standing⁶ there.

Ae man there in the thick of the throng⁷

Sat in his saddle, straight and strong.

I looked at him and he at me,

And he was a master-man to see.

. . . And who is this yin? and who is yon

That has the bonny lendings on?

That sits and looks sae braw and crouse?

. . . Mister Frank o’ the Big House!

I gaed my lane beside the sea;

The wind it blew in bush and tree,

The wind blew in bush and bent:

Muckle I saw, and muckle kent!

Between the beach and the sea-hill

I sat my lane and grat my fill —

I was sae clarty and hard and dark,

And like the kye in the cow park!

There fell a battle far in the north;

The evil news gaed back and forth⁸,

And back and forth by brae and bent

Hider and hunter cam and went:

The hunter clattered⁹ horse-shoe-airn

By causey-crest and hill-top cairn;

The hider, in by shag and shench,

Crept on his wame and little lench.

The eastland wind blew shrill¹⁰ and snell,

The stars arose, the gloaming fell,

The firelight shone in window and door

When Mr. Frank cam here to shore.

He hirpled up by the links and the lane,

And chappit laigh in the back-door-stane.

My faither gaed, and up wi’ his han’!

. . . Is this Mr. Frank, or a beggarman?

I have mistrysted sair, he said,

But let me into fire and bed;

Let me in, for auld¹² lang syne¹³,

And give me a dram of the brandy wine.

They hid him in the Bour–Tree Den,

And I thought it strange to gang my lane;

I thought it strange, I thought it sweet,

To gang there on my naked feet.

In the mirk night, when the boats were at sea,

I passed the burn abune the knee;

In the mirk night, when the folks were asleep,

I had a tryst¹¹ in the den to keep.

Late and air’, when the folks were asleep,

I had a tryst, a tryst to keep,

I had a lad that lippened to me,

And bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

O’ the bour-tree leaves I busked his bed,

The mune was siller, the dawn was red:

Was nae man there but him and me —

And bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

Unco weather hae we been through:

The mune glowered¹⁴, and the wind blew,

And the rain it rained on him and me,

And bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

Dwelling¹⁵ his lane but house or hauld,

Aft he was wet and aft was cauld;

I warmed him wi’ my briest and knee —

And bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

There was nae voice of beast ae man,

But the tree soughed and the burn ran,

And we heard the ae voice of the sea:

Bour-tree blossom is fair to see!

1 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

2 plumes   

羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物

参考例句：

• The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
• The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。

3 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

4 waded   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
• He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。

5 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 throng   

n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集

参考例句：

• A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
• The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

8 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

9 clattered   

发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He dropped the knife and it clattered on the stone floor. 他一失手，刀子当啷一声掉到石头地面上。
• His hand went limp and the knife clattered to the ground. 他的手一软，刀子当啷一声掉到地上。

10 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

11 tryst   

n.约会；v.与…幽会

参考例句：

• It has been said that art is a tryst,for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet.有人说艺术是一种幽会，因为艺术家和欣赏者可在幽会的乐趣中相遇在一起。
• Poor Mr. Sanford didn't stand a chance of keeping his tryst secret.可怜的桑福德根本不可能会守住自己幽会的秘密。

12 auld   

adj.老的，旧的

参考例句：

• Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友，心中能不怀念？
• The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。

13 syne   

adv.自彼时至此时，曾经

参考例句：

• The meeting ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.大会以唱《友谊地久天长》结束。
• We will take a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne.让我们为了过去的好时光干一杯友谊的酒。

14 glowered   

v.怒视( glower的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He just glowered without speaking. 他一言不发地皱眉怒视我。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He glowered at me but said nothing. 他怒视着我，却一言不发。 来自辞典例句

15 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。