Anna, thy Charms

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



Yestreen I had a pint o' wine,
    A place where body saw na;
Yestreen lay on this breast o' mine
    The gowden locks of Anna.

The hungry Jew in wilderness
    Rejoicing o'er his manna
Was naething to my hiney bliss
    Upon the lips of Anna.

Ye Monarchs take the East and West
    Frae Indus to Savannah:
Gie me within my straining grasp
    The melting form of Anna!

There I'll despise Imperial charms,
    An empress or sultana,
While dying raptures in her arms,
    I give an' take wi' Anna!

Awa, thou flaunting God of Day!
    Awa, thou pale Diana!
Ilk star, gae hide thy twinkling ray,
    When I'm to meet my Anna!

Come, in thy raven plumage, Night
    (Sun, Moon, and Stars, withdrawn a')
And bring an Angel-pen to write
    My transports with my Anna!

The Kirk an State may join, an tell
    To do sic things I maunna:
The Kirk an State may gae to Hell,
    And I'll gae to my Anna.
She is the sunshine o' my e'e,
    To live but her I canna:
Had I on earth but wishes three,
    The first should be my Anna.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 12, 2023

58 sec read
102

Quick analysis:

Scheme AXAB XBXB XBXB CACB DBDB EBEB FAFBGAGB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,026
Words 190
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 8

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

All Robert Burns poems | Robert Burns Books

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