Thou lingering Star with lessening ray and To Mary in Heaven
To live one day of parting love?
Eternity can not efface
Those records dear of transports past;
Thy image at our last embrace,
Ah, little thought we 'twas our last!
Ayr gurgling kiss'd his pebbled shore,
O'er hung with wild woods, thickening, green;
The fragrant birch and hawthorn hoar
Twin'd amorous round the raptur'd scene;
The flowers sprang wanton to be prest,
The birds sang love on every spray,
Till too, too soon the glowing west
Proclaim'd the speed of winged day.-
Still o'er these scenes my mem'ry wakes,
And fondly broods with miser-care;
Time but th' impression stronger makes,
As streams their channels deeper wear:
My Mary, dear, departed Shade!
Where is thy place of heavenly rest,
Seest thou thy lover lowly laid,
Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast!
That lov'st to greet the early morn,
Again thou usher'st in the day
My Mary from my soul was torn
O Mary! dear, departed Shade!
Where is thy place of heavenly blissful rest?
Seest thou thy Lover, lowly laid?
Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast?
That sacred hour can I forget,
Can I forget the hallow'd grove
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/148
- Alt. number
- 3.6372
- Date
- 1789
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- McLehose, Agnes
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/148
- Alt. number
- 3.6372
- Date
- 1789
- On display
- Yes
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Recipient
- McLehose, Agnes
Description
Thou lingering Star with lessening ray and To Mary in Heaven. 4 stanzas of eight-lines. Enclosed with a letter to Clarinda dated 5th Feb 1790.
Three years after her death and still haunted by the memory of their last meeting, Robert describes his love for Agnes and his enduring sorrow.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Thou lingering Star with lessening ray and To Mary in Heaven