Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-07

| IN accomplished scholar and Il felieitous
versifier. is put forward. In support Of
| his claim reference is made in one of the
stanzas to the civil war, this being con-
sidered consistent with his character as
Jealous partisan or the RoyaIist cause
| in the first civil war. The stanza in
question is as follows
IL Ger have a house. my dear.
That truly is called mine
And can afford but country cheer
Or ought that's good within.
Though thou vert rebel to the King
And beat with wind and rain
Assure thYself of welcome, love
For old longsyne
Beyond this, however, little save ira
dition can be advanced.
y much more likely author is found in
Francis Semple, one of the poetieal lairds
of Beltrees. Even if this particular
claimant can lay no special claim to the
authorship of "Auld Lang Syne." yet his
name is established by his undoubted au-
thorship Of such lyrical gems as "Maggie
Lauder" and The Blithesome Bridal
Further. in I'LL, James Watson gathered
together for the benefit of Scots a
Choice Collection of Comic and Serious
Scotch Poems, both Ancient and Mod
ern," and in these appears n version of
the song over the name of Francis Sem
pie. However, this is not conclusive evil
dence, as Scmple died in 1850, and this
volume was not published till 80 years
later, but it serves to show the current
Of contemporary opinion. The version
then published was as follows:
Should aud acquaintance be forgot,
And never thought upon.
The flames of love eXtinguished
And freely. past and gone?
Is thy kind heart now grown so cold
In that loving breast of thine
That thou canst never once reflect
On old long syne..
Where are thy protestations,
Thy VOWS and oaths., my dear.
Thou mad st to me and | to thee
In register vet clear
Are faith and truth SO violate
To tn immortal gods divine
That then canst never once reflect
On old long syneo
Is,t cupids fears or frosty cares
That make thy spirits decay2
OR list some object of more worth
That's stolen thy heart away?
Or some desert makes thee neglect
Him, SO much once was thine
That thou canst never once reflect
On old long SYne?
II is curious to note that, save for the
word "syne',-the last in each verse. the
whole production is entirely devoid Of
any approach to the Scottish vernacular
Yet another poet lays claim to the
song this time no other than the ia
nous Allan Ramsay. His version. of
which a verse is subioined, appeared in
1924 in his 'Tea-Table Miseellanies'
and with music in Thomson's "orpheus
Caledous' in l725. The following is the
first stanza of Ramsay's version;
should aud acquaintance be forgot,
Though they return with scars
These are the noble heroes lot
Obtained in glorious wars.
Welcome my Naro To my breast.
Thy arms about me Irvine,
And make me ance again as blest
As | WAS langsyne.
Again il is noticeable that the Scottish
element is almost entirely absent.
But let us turn To the version of all
that of the immortal Robin. One of
Burns best friends was Mrs. Dunlop OF
Dunlop. a lineal descendant of Sir VIII
liam Wallace. 1t was to this lady that
Burns in 17SS penned the following sig
nihcant words and enclosing n copy of
his own version of the song rs not tue
Scottish phrase, Aud Lang Syne' exceed
ingiy Expressive There IS an old song
and tune which has often thrilled through
my soul. You know l am an enthusiast
in old Scottish songs. Light be the turf
on the breast of the poet who composed
this glorious fragment, There is more OF
a dozen of modern English Baeehanai-
ians." Surely such encomiums do away
with all notions that Burns was, HIM
self the original author of the poem
But even though he was in no way adj
tiicted 10 vanity he always retained
good opinion OF his work in perfecung
"Auld Lang Syne. for. when suggest
ing certain of his songs as his best to
be collected in a compilation of Scotch
lyrics he gives it place by itself. One
song more he writes. land am done
Aud Lang Syne"
And it would have been Difficult. to
conclude his selections with more NV
ing vibrant melody-a song whose merits
have been recognized and extolled by
generations of Scotchmen, and as long
as there be some who call Scotland
mother" still, so long will Aud Lang |
Syne" find an echo in some heart.-Bos-
ton Herald.