young girl called Jessie Lewars, sister of one of his colleagues in
the excise, came much to his house and was of great service to Mrs.
Burns and him in his last illness. One day he offered to write new
verses to any tune she might play him. She sat down and played over
several times the melody of an old song, beginning,

The robin came to the wren's nest,
And keekit in, and keekit in.

The following lines were the characteristic result:


O, WERT THOU IN THE CAULD BLAST

O, wert thou in the cauld blast, [cold]
On yonder lea, on yonder lea,
My plaidie to the angry airt, [direction]
I'd shelter thee, I'd shelter thee,
Or did misfortune's bitter storms
Around thee blaw, around thee blaw,
Thy bield should be my bosom, [shelter]
To share it a', to share it a'.

Or were I in the wildest waste,
Sae black and bare, sae black and bare,
The desert were a paradise,
If thou wert there, if thou wert there.
Or were I monarch o' the globe,
Wi' thee to reign, wi' thee to reign,
The brightest jewel in my crown