Sir Walter Scott Poems

A collection of select Sir Walter Scott famous poems that were written by Sir Walter Scott or written about the poet by other famous poets. PoetrySoup is a comprehensive educational resource of the greatest poems and poets on history.

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Datur Hora Quieti

by Sir Walter Scott
 The sun upon the lake is low,
The wild birds hush their song,
The hills have evening's deepest glow,
Yet Leonard tarries long.
Now all whom varied toil and care
From home and love divide,
In the calm sunset may repair
Each to the loved one's side.

The noble dame, on turret high,
Who waits her gallant knight,
Looks to the western beam to spy
The flash of armour bright.
The...Read more of this...

Where Shall the Lover Rest

by Sir Walter Scott
 Where shall the lover rest 
Whom the fates sever 
From the true maiden's breast, 
Parted for ever?-- 
Where, through groves deep and high, 
Sounds the fair billow, 
Where early violets die, 
Under the willow.

Chorus.

Soft shall be his pillow.

There, through the summer day, 
Cool streams are laving; 
There, while the tempests sway, 
Scarce are boughs waving; 
There, thy rest shall...Read more of this...

It Was an English Ladye Bright

by Sir Walter Scott
 It was an English ladye bright,
(The sun shines fair on Carlisle wall,)
And she would marry a Scottish knight,
For Love will still be lord of all.

Blithely they saw the rising sun
When he shone fair on Carlisle wall;
But they were sad ere day was done,
Though Love was still the lord of all.

Her sire gave brooch and jewel fine,
Where the sun shines...Read more of this...

My Native Land

by Sir Walter Scott
Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land!
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd,
As home his footsteps he hath turn'd
From wandering on a foreign strand!
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no Minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite...Read more of this...

The Maid of Neidpath

by Sir Walter Scott
 O lovers’ eyes are sharp to see, 
And lovers’ ears in hearing; 
And love, in life’s extremity, 
Can lend an hour of cheering. 
Disease had been in Mary’s bower 
And slow decay from mourning, 
Though now she sits on Neidpath’s tower 
To watch her Love’s returning. 

All sunk and dim her eyes so bright, 
Her form decay’d by pining,...Read more of this...

Brignall Banks

by Sir Walter Scott
 O, Brignall banks are wild and fair, 
And Greta woods are green, 
And you may gather garlands there, 
Would grace a summer queen: 
And as I rode by Dalton Hall, 
Beneath the turrets high, 
A Maiden on the castle wall 
Was singing merrily:— 

'O, Brignall banks are fresh and fair, 
And Greta woods are green! 
I'd rather rove with...Read more of this...

MacGregors Gathering

by Sir Walter Scott
 The moon's on the lake, and the mist's on the brae,
And the Clan has a name that is nameless by day;
Then gather, gather, gather, Grigalach!
Gather, gather, gather, &c.

Our signal for fight, that from monarchs we drew,
Must be heard but by night in our vengeful haloo!
Then haloo, Grigalach! haloo, Grigalach!
Haloo, haloo, haloo, Grigalach, &c.

Glen Orchy's proud mountains, Coalchuirn and her...Read more of this...

Lullaby of an Infant Chief

by Sir Walter Scott
 hush thee, my babie, thy sire was a knight,
Thy mother a lady, both lovely and bright;
The woods and the glens, from the towers which we see,
They all are belonging, dear babie, to thee.
O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo,
O ho ro, i ri ri, cadul gu lo.

O fear not the bugle, though loudly it blows,
It calls but...Read more of this...

Lucy Ashtons Song

by Sir Walter Scott
 Look not thou on beauty's charming; 
Sit thou still when kings are arming; 
Taste not when the wine-cup glistens; 
Speak not when the people listens; 
Stop thine ear against the singer; 
From the red gold keep thy finger; 
Vacant heart and hand and eye, 
Easy live and quiet die....Read more of this...

Hunters Song

by Sir Walter Scott
 The toils are pitched, and the stakes are set, 
Ever sing merrily, merrily; 
The bows they bend, and the knives they whet, 
Hunters live so cheerily. 

It was a stag, a stag of ten, 
Bearing its branches sturdily; 
He came silently down the glen, 
Ever sing hardily, hardily. 

It was there he met with a wounded doe, 
She was...Read more of this...

The Outlaw

by Sir Walter Scott
 O, Brignall banks are wild and fair, 
And Greta woods are green, 
And you may gather garlands there, 
Would grace a summer queen: 
And as I rode by Dalton Hall, 
Beneath the turrets high, 
A Maiden on the castle wall 
Was singing merrily:— 

'O, Brignall banks are fresh and fair, 
And Greta woods are green! 
I'd rather rove with...Read more of this...

Eleu Loro

by Sir Walter Scott
 Where shall the lover rest 
Whom the fates sever 
From his true maiden’s breast 
Parted for ever? 
Where, through groves deep and high 
Sounds the far billow, 
Where early violets die 
Under the willow. 
Eleu loro 
Soft shall be his pillow. 

There through the summer day 
Cool streams are laving: 
There, while the tempests sway, 
Scarce are boughs waving;...Read more of this...

Rosabelle

by Sir Walter Scott
 O listen, listen, ladies gay! 
No haughty feat of arms I tell; 
Soft is the note, and sad the lay 
That mourns the lovely Rosabelle. 

‘Moor, moor the barge, ye gallant crew! 
And, gentle lady, deign to stay! 
Rest thee in Castle Ravensheuch, 
Nor tempt the stormy firth to-day. 

‘The blackening wave is edged with white; 
To inch and...Read more of this...

A Serenade

by Sir Walter Scott
 Ah! County Guy, the hour is nigh 
The sun has left the lea, 
The orange-flower perfumes the bower, 
The breeze is on the sea. 
The lark, his lay who trill’d all day, 
Sits hush’d his partner nigh; 
Breeze, bird, and flower confess the hour, 
But where is County Guy? 

The village maid steals through the shade 
Her shepherd’s suit...Read more of this...

The Rovers Adieu

by Sir Walter Scott
 weary lot is thine, fair maid,
A weary lot is thine!
To pull the thorn thy brow to braid,
And press the rue for wine.
A lightsome eye, a soldier's mien,
A feather of the blue,
A doublet of the Lincoln green—
No more of me ye knew,
My Love!
No more of me ye knew.
'This morn is merry June, I trow,
The rose is budding fain;
But she shall...Read more of this...

County Guy

by Sir Walter Scott
 Ah! County Guy, the hour is nigh,
The sun has left the lea,
The orange flower perfumes the bower,
The breeze is on the sea.
The lark his lay who thrill'd all day
Sits hush'd his partner nigh:
Breeze, bird, and flower confess the hour,
But where is County Guy?

The village maid steals through the shade,
Her shepherd's suit to hear;
To beauty shy, by lattice high,
Sings high-born...Read more of this...

Pibroch of Donail Dhu

by Sir Walter Scott
 Pibroch of Donuil Dhu,
Pibroch of Donuil,
Wake thy wild voice anew,
Summon Clan-Conuil.
Come away, come away,
Hark to the summons!
Come in your war array,
Gentles and commons.

Come from deep glen and
From mountain so rocky,
The war-pipe and pennon
Are at Inverlochy.
Come every hill-plaid and
True heart that wears one,
Come every steel blade and
Strong hand that bears one.

Leave untended the herd,
The flock without shelter;
Leave the corpse uninterr'd,
The...Read more of this...

Jock of Hazeldean

by Sir Walter Scott
 Why weep ye by the tide, ladie? 
Why weep ye by the tide? 
I'll wed ye to my youngest son, 
And ye sall be his bride: 
And ye sall be his bride, ladie, 
Sae comely to be seen"-- 
But aye she loot the tears sown fa' 
For Jock of Hazeldean.

"Now let this wilfu' grief be done, 
And dry that...Read more of this...

Coronach

by Sir Walter Scott
 He is gone on the mountain,
He is lost to the forest,
Like a summer-dried fountain,
When our need was the sorest.
The font, reappearing,
From the rain-drops shall borrow,
But to us comes no cheering,
To Duncan no morrow!

The hand of the reaper
Takes the ears that are hoary,
But the voice of the weeper
Wails manhood in glory.
The autumn winds rushing
Waft the leaves that are searest,
But our...Read more of this...

On Leaving Mrs. Browns Lodgings

by Sir Walter Scott
 So goodbye, Mrs. Brown, 
I am going out of town, 
Over dale, over down, 
Where bugs bite not, 
Where lodgers fight not, 
Where below your chairmen drink not, 
Where beside your gutters stink not; 
But all is fresh and clean and gay, 
And merry lambkins sport and play, 
And they toss with rakes uncommonly short hay, 
Which looks as...Read more of this...

To a Lock of Hair

by Sir Walter Scott
 Thy hue, dear pledge, is pure and bright
As in that well - remember'd night
When first thy mystic braid was wove,
And first my Agnes whisper'd love.

Since then how often hast thou prest
The torrid zone of this wild breast,
Whose wrath and hate have sworn to dwell
With the first sin that peopled hell;
A breast whose blood's a troubled ocean,
Each throb the earthquake's...Read more of this...

Border Ballad

by Sir Walter Scott
 March, march, Ettrick and Teviotdale, 
Why the deil dinna ye march forward in order! 
March, march, Eskdale and Liddesdale, 
All the Blue Bonnets are bound for the Border. 
Many a banner spread,
Flutters above your head, 
Many a crest that is famous in story. 
Mount and make ready then, 
Sons of the mountain glen, 
Fight for the Queen and our...Read more of this...

Lochinvar

by Sir Walter Scott
Oh! young Lochinvar is come out of the west,
Through all the wide Border his steed was the best;
And save his good broadsword he weapons had none.
He rode all unarmed and he rode all alone.
So faithful in love and so dauntless in war,
There never was knight like the young Lochinvar. 

He stayed not for brake and he stopped not for stone,
He...Read more of this...

Patriotism 01 Innominatus

by Sir Walter Scott
 BREATHES there the man with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
'This is my own, my native land!'
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd
As home his footsteps he hath turn'd
From wandering on a foreign strand?
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no Minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can...Read more of this...

Gathering Song of Donald the Black

by Sir Walter Scott
 Pibroch of Donuil Dhu 
Pibroch of Donuil 
Wake thy wild voice anew, 
Summon Clan Conuil! 
Come away, come away, 
Hark to the summons! 
Come in your war-array, 
Gentles and commons. 

Come from deep glen, and 
From mountain so rocky; 
The war-pipe and pennon 
Are at Inverlocky. 
Come every hill-plaid, and 
True heart that wears one, 
Come every steel blade,...Read more of this...

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