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Sweetest May let love inspire thee; Take a heart which he designs thee; As thy constant slave regard it; For its faith and truth reward it. Proof o shot to Birth or Money, Not the wealthy, but the bonie; Not high-born, but noble-minded, In Love's silken band can bind it.
This is an epitaph by Robert Burns. It is read here by Bill Paterson.
Alistair BraidwoodAlthough this song is attributed to Burns the extent of his involvement is impossible to gauge. James Johnson, who was the editor of The Scots Musical Museum: 1707-1803 may have exaggerated Burns involvement with specific songs both as a memorial to the recently departed poet, and as a marketing tool for the collection.
This song in particular is similar to 'There's my thumb I'll ne'er beguile thee' which appears in Allan Ramsay's collection Tea Table Miscellany (1724-1727).
On May 17th, 1783 the Bard's father, William Burnes (sic), had his property placed in sequestration prior to its selling off. It was the preliminary to bankruptcy, a prospect that filled his family with fear. Although his father eventually won his appeal, Burns never got over the resentment and humiliation that this injustice brought about. Here is a poem from a later, less miserable May, verses addressed to a woman of that name. Its theme is familiar: love over birth right, beauty before riches.
Donny O'Rourke
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