First printed in The Morning Chronicle, 25th September, 1800.
Streams that glide in Orient plains,
Never bound by Winter’s chains;
Glowing here on golden sands,
There immixed with foulest stains
5 From Tyranny’s empurpled hands:
These, their richly gleaming waves,
I leave to tyrants and their slaves,
Give me the stream that sweetly laves
The banks by CASTLE GORDON. —
10 Torrid forests, ever gay,
Shading from the burning ray
Hapless wretches sold to toil;
Or the ruthless Native’s way,
Bent on slaughter, blood and spoil:
15 Woods that ever verdant wave,
I leave the tyrant and the slave,
Give me the groves that lofty brave
The storms, by CASTLE GORDON. —
Wildly here without control,
20 Nature reigns and rules the whole;
In that sober, pensive mood,
Dearest to the feeling soul,
She plants the forest, pours the flood:
Life’s poor day I’ll musing, rave,
25 And find at night a sheltering cave,
Where waters flow and wild woods wave
By bonny CASTLE GORDON. —
This song appeared in the London Morning Chronicle just prior to being printed in Currie’s edition. The political content of the first two stanzas may have led the Chronicle to print it. During his time in Edinburgh, Burns was invited to Castle Gordon by Jane Maxwell, the Duchess of Gordon. His visit occurred on 7th September, 1787. William Nicol did not attend the meeting with Alexander, Duke of Gordon, but stayed at the Inn in Fochabers and later refused to accompany Burns back to the Duke’s castle. Burns sent the Duke this song as an apology for their non-appearance.