The Flowers of the Forest.
Arranged by Finlay Dun.
–
I’ve seen the smiling of fortune beguilling,
I’ve felt all its favours, and found its decay;
Sweet was its blessing, kind its caressing,
But now ‘tis fled, fled far away;
I’ve seen the forest adorned the foremost,
With flow’rs of the fairest, most pleasant and gay,
Sae bonnie was their blooming, their scent the air perfuming,
But now they are wither’d and a’ wede away.
–
I’ve seen the morning with gold the hills adorning,
And the dread tempest roaring before parting day;
I’ve seen Tweed’s silver streams
Glitt’ring in the sunny beams,
Grow drumlie and dark as they roll’d on their way.
O fickle fortune! why thus cruel sporting?
O why thus perplex us, poor sons of a day?
Thy frowns cannot fear me,
Thy smiles cannot cheer me,
For the Flowers of the Forest are withered away.
There is a plaque I think near the Edinburgh art college? commemorating the writer of Flowers of the forest. A woman who’s name I can’t remember I’m ashamed to say. It’s a lovely song.
Was it perhaps a Jean Elliot? I’m afraid I’m not aware of who wrote it, but her name comes up when a wee search is done x