Written Under Violent Grief

By Robert Burns

Accept the gift a friend sincere
Wad on thy worth be pressin';
Remembrance oft may start a tear,
But oh! that tenderness forbear,
Though 't wad my sorrows lessen.

My morning raise sae clear and fair,
I thought sair storms wad never
Bedew the scene; but grief and care
In wildest fury hae made bare
My peace, my hope, for ever!

You think I'm glad; oh, I pay weel
For a' the joy I borrow,
In solitude -- then, then I feel
I canna to mysel' conceal
My deeply ranklin' sorrow.

Farewell! within thy bosom free
A sigh may whiles awaken;
A tear may wet thy laughin' e'e,
For Scotia's son -- ance gay like thee --
Now hopeless, comfortless, forsaken!

Notes to the poem:

These lines, which first appeared in the Sun newspaper, April 1823, were originally written on the fly-leaf of a copy of the poet's works presented to a friend.