Wood Warblers, by the grace of this living world, with "Kilmeny" by James Hogg:
Mniotilta variafemale
'Bonnie Kilmeny gaed up the glen; But it wasna to meet Duneira's men,
Setophaga caerulescensmaleNorthern
Nor the rosy monk of the isle to see, For Kilmeny was pure as pure could be.
Setophaga petechiamalerufous capped
It was only to hear the yorlin sing, And pu' the cress-flower round the spring;
Setophaga americanamale
The scarlet hypp and the hindberrye, And the nut that hung frae the hazel tree;
Geothlypis trichasmale
For Kilmeny was pure as pure could be.
Setophaga ruticillafemale
But lang may her minny look o'er the wa', But lang may she seek i' the green-wood shaw;
Setophaga virens
Lang the laird o' Duneira blame, And lang, lang greet or Kilmeny come hame!
Setophaga pensylvanica
When many a day had come and fled, When grief grew calm, and hope was dead,
Setophaga striatafemale
When mess for Kilmeny's soul had been sung, When the bedesman had pray'd and the dead bell rung,
Geothlypis philadelphiamale
Late, late in gloamin' when all was still, When the fringe was red on the westlin hill,
The wood was sere, the moon i' the wane, The reek o' the cot hung over the plain,
Setophaga coronatamaleMyrtle
Like a little wee cloud in the world its lane; When the ingle low'd wi' an eiry leme,
Cardellina pusilamale
Late, late in the gloamin' Kilmeny came hame!
Setophaga pensylvanicafemale
'Kilmeny, Kilmeny, where have you been? Lang hae we sought baith holt and den;
By linn, by ford, and green-wood tree, Yet you are halesome and fair to see.
Setophaga castaneafemale
Where gat you that joup o' the lily scheen? That bonnie snood of the birk sae green?
Setophaga americanafemale
And these roses, the fairest that ever were seen? Kilmeny, Kilmeny, where have you been?'
Oreothlypis celatafemaleTaiga
Kilmeny looked up with a lovely grace, But nae smile was seen on Kilmeny's face;
Setophaga pinusfemale
As still was her look, and as still was her e'e, As the stillness that lay on the emerant lea,
Geothlypis trichasfemale
Or the mist that sleeps on a waveless sea.
Setophaga magnoliamale
For Kilmeny had been, she knew not where, And Kilmeny had seen what she could not declare;
Setophaga coronatafemaleMyrtle
Kilmeny had been where the cock never crew, Where the rain never fell, and the wind never blew.
Setophaga caerulescensfemale
But it seem'd as the harp of the sky had rung, And the airs of heaven play'd round her tongue,
Oreothlypis ruficapilla
When she spake of the lovely forms she had seen, And a land where sin had never been;
Oreothlypis peregrinafemale
A land of love and a land of light, Withouten sun, or moon, or night;
Parkesia motacilla
Where the river sway'd a living stream, And the light a pure celestial beam;
Setophaga pinus
The land of vision, it would seem, A still, an everlasting dream.
Setophaga tigrinamale
In yon green-wood there is a waik, And in that waik there is a wene,
And in that wene there is a maike, That neither has flesh, blood, nor bane;
Setophaga caerulescensmaleAppalachian
And down in yon green-wood he walks his lane.
Setophaga ruticillamale
In that green wene Kilmeny lay, Her bosom happ'd wi' flowerets gay;
But the air was soft and the silence deep, And bonnie Kilmeny fell sound asleep.
Seiurus aurocapilla
She kenn'd nae mair, nor open'd her e'e, Till waked by the hymns of a far countrye.
She 'waken'd on a couch of the silk sae slim, All striped wi' the bars of the rainbow's rim;
Setophaga americana1st year
And lovely beings round were rife, Who erst had travell'd mortal life;
Setophaga magnoliafemale
And aye they smiled and 'gan to speer, 'What spirit has brought this mortal here?'—
Mniotilta variamale
'Lang have I journey'd, the world wide,' A meek and reverend fere replied;
'Baith night and day I have watch'd the fair, Eident a thousand years and mair.
Yes, I have watch'd o'er ilk degree, Wherever blooms femenitye;
But sinless virgin, free of stain In mind and body, fand I nane.
Setophaga fuscamale
Never, since the banquet of time, Found I a virgin in her prime,
Till late this bonnie maiden I saw As spotless as the morning snaw:
Full twenty years she has lived as free As the spirits that sojourn in this countrye:
I have brought her away frae the snares of men, That sin or death she never may ken.'—
Setophaga castaneamale
They clasp'd her waist and her hands sae fair, They kiss'd her cheek and they kemed her hair,
And round came many a blooming fere, Saying, 'Bonnie Kilmeny, ye're welcome here!
Women are freed of the littand scorn: O blest be the day Kilmeny was born!
Setophaga striatamale