Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • COVID-19
    • Re-Opening FAQ
  • Poetry
    • Poems
    • Poets
    • Our National Poet
    • Podcasts
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Poetry and Mindfulness
    • Champions 2020
    • Posters
    • Publishers
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • National Poetry Day 2019
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Exhibitions
    • Venue hire
    • List an event
  • Shop
    • National Poetry Day 2020
    • New Titles
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Pocket Poets
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Our projects
    • Jobs
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
    • Easy Fundraising
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • J. Logie Robertson
  • >
  • In Praise of Balgeddie
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

In Praise of Balgeddie

J. Logie Robertson

I.
I sing of a spot,
Tho’ the warld knows it not,
And it’s nae great attraction to lord or to leddy;
There’s nae railway near it,
Nor devil hae ʼt to steer it –
It’s a canny country toun wi’ the name o’ Balgeddie.

(Chorus)
Set me at liberty, and let me gang,
On my ain shank’s-naig, or the back o’ a neddy;
I’ll never be mysel’, and I’ll never sing a sang
Till I see the sun sklent aff the ruifs o’ Balgeddie!

II.
It sleeps amang trees
To the bummin’ o’ its bees
Frae the sawin’ o’ the seed till the barley’s ready;
Then it waukens to a strife
For the dear staff o’ life,
An sleeps a’ the winter again, does Balgeddie.

III.
Wi’ the blue loch before it,
An the simmer bending o’er it,
An’ the Bishop hill ahint it, wi’ never a sheddie –
O whaur will ye find
Country quarters to your mind,
Or an auld cottar-toun wi a kirk, like Balgeddie?

IV.
Auld Reekie’s fu’ o’ stour,
An’ I’m deaved every hour
Frae the time I get up till I gang to my beddie:
But the loch’s cauler gleam,
I see it in my dream,
And I hear the bees bummin’ on the braes o’ Balgeddie.
…

(Chorus)
Set him at liberty, an’ let him gang,
On his ain shank’s-naig, or the back o’ a neddy;
He’ll never be himself’, and he’ll never sing a sang,
Till he tastes the barley-brew on the rigs o’ Balgeddie.


J. Logie Robertson

from Horace in Homespun and other Scots poems (William Blackwood, 1925)

Tags:

Fife & Angus nostalgia pastoral Placebook Scotland Scots songs
Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email

Learn more

J. Logie Robertson1846 - 1922

The author of the popular 'Hughies' - versions in Scots of the odes of Horace, published under the pen-name Hugh Haliburton - J. Logie Robertson was an Edinburgh schoolmaster and writer on Scottish literature and culture.
More about J. Logie Robertson

Online Shop

Browse our range of poetry books, cards and gifts in our online shop.
Shop now

Podcasts

Our audio programme of poets, poems and news for you to listen to.
Listen Now
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2021.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
By leaves we live

The Scottish Poetry Library is staffed weekdays from 10am – 2pm and is providing a limited service including postal loans and Click & Collect. For details, click COVID-19 in the menu bar above. Dismiss