A Poet's Welcome to his love-begotten Daughter
A Welcome to a bastart wean. ----
Thou'se welcome, wean ---- mishanter fa'me,
If thoughts of thee, or yet thy Mammie,
Shall ever dauntin me or awe me,
My sweet wee ladie;
Or if I blush when thou shalt ca' me
Tyta or Daddie.
Tho' now they ca' me Fornicator,
And tease my name in countra clatter,
The mair they talk I'm kend the better;
E'en let them clash!
An auld wife's tongue's a feckless matter
To gie ane fash.
Welcome, my bonie, sweet wee dochter!
Tho' ye come here a wee unsought for,
An' tho' your comin I hae bought for,
An' that right dear,
Yet by my faith 'twas no unwrought for
That I shall swear!
Sweet fruit o' mony a merry dint,
My funny toil is no a' tint
Thou'se welcome, wean ---- mishanter fa'me,
If thoughts of thee, or yet thy Mammie,
Shall ever dauntin me or awe me,
My sweet wee ladie;
Or if I blush when thou shalt ca' me
Tyta or Daddie.
Tho' now they ca' me Fornicator,
And tease my name in countra clatter,
The mair they talk I'm kend the better;
E'en let them clash!
An auld wife's tongue's a feckless matter
To gie ane fash.
Welcome, my bonie, sweet wee dochter!
Tho' ye come here a wee unsought for,
An' tho' your comin I hae bought for,
An' that right dear,
Yet by my faith 'twas no unwrought for
That I shall swear!
Sweet fruit o' mony a merry dint,
My funny toil is no a' tint
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/50
- Alt. number
- 3.6190
- Date
- 1785
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/50
- Alt. number
- 3.6190
- Date
- 1785
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
A Poet's Welcome to his love-begotten Daughter.
The full title of this poem is, A Poet’s Welcome to his love-begotten Daughter; the first instance that entitled him to the venerable appellation of Father.
Robert became a father for the first time in 1785 with the birth of his first child. Born to the family servant Elizabeth Paton, little Bess inspired her father to write this tribute to his first-born.
'Wee image o’ my bonie Betty,
As fatherly I kiss and daut thee,
As dear and near my heart I set thee'
Although Robert and Elizabeth’s relationship did not last, Bess was raised as a member of the Burns household by Robert’s mother.
'Wee image o’ my bonie Betty,
As fatherly I kiss and daut thee,
As dear and near my heart I set thee'
Although Robert and Elizabeth’s relationship did not last, Bess was raised as a member of the Burns household by Robert’s mother.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
Caring for collections
A gift of £5 a month can help us ensure collections like the Robert Burns Collection receive ongoing care and are shared with as many people as possible.