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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CUDDLE DOON by ALEXANDER ANDERSON

Poem Explanation

First Line: THE BAIRNIES CUDDLE DOON AT NICHT
Last Line: "OH, BAIRNIE~, CUDDLE DOON"
Subject(s): CHILDREN; MOTHERS; CHILDHOOD;
Cuddle doon an' sleep fu' soun',
THE bairnies cuddle doon at nicht
Mammy's bairnie saft an' cozie;
Wi' muckle faught an' din;
Pit ae han' my neck aroun',
"Oh try and sleep, ye waukrife rogues,
An' the ither in my bozie.
Your faither's comin' in."
There, noo, sleep while mammy sings
They never heed a word I speak;
That bit sang, fu' lown an' cannie-
I try to gie a froon,
Hoo a fairy every nicht
But aye I hap them up an' cry,
Rocks him till he grows a mannie.
"Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon."
Just when he begins to sleep,
Wee Jamie wi' the curly heid --
In she comes-that dumpy fairy-
He aye sleeps next the wa' --
Askin' wi' auld-fashion'd look,
Bangs up an' cries, "I want a piece;"
'Let me try the wean to carry!'
The rascal starts them a'.
But I shake my heid an' say,
I rin an' fetch them pieces, drinks,
'Mammy daurna trust her bairnie
They stop awee the soun',
Wi' a thing sae licht as you;
Then draw the blankets up an' cry,
First grow bigger an' she'll learn ye.'
"Noo, weanies, cuddle doon."
Then I draw the creddle near,
But, ere five minutes gang, wee Rab
Pit him in, while sweet an' simple,
Cries out, frae 'neath the claes,
She gets up upon the stule,
"Mither, mak' Tam gie ower at ance,
An' raxes doon to kiss his dimple;
He's kittlin' wi' his taes."
After this she starts an' sings,
The mischief's in that Tam for tricks,
As she rocks an' swings the creddle,
He'd bother half the toon;
Sic a sang, sae lown an' sweet,
But aye I hap them up and cry,
I daurna speak a word or meddle.
"Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon."
What that sang can mean ava,
At length they hear their faither's fit,
Dim an' riddle-like in seemin',
An', as he steeks the door,
Nane kens but this bairnie here,
They turn their faces to the wa',
For he smiles an' starts the dreamin'.
While Tam pretends to snore.
Then that fairy, keekin' ow'r,
"Hae a' the weans been gude?" he asks,
Seein' this, sings laigh an' cannie,
As he pits aff his shoon;
'Rock him saft, an' rock him aft,
The bairnies, John, are in their beds,
Till he grows a great big mannie.'
An' lang since cuddled doon."
Then her sang begins to turn
An' just afore we bed oorsels,
Saft an' wae, as if entreatin';
We look at our wee lambs;
Though I dinna ken a word,
Tam has his airm roun' wee Rab's neck,
Yet I maist fa' to the greetin'.
And Rab his airm round Tam's.
But the weanie still smiles on,
I lift wee Jamie up the bed,
Liftin' up a wee fat han'ie,
An' as I straik each croon,
Which the fairy kissin' cries,
I whisper, till my heart fills up,
'Bairnie, sleep an' grow a mannie.'
"Oh, bairnies, cuddle doon."
So he sleeps the hale nicht lang,
The bairnies cuddle doon at nicht
Waukin' up fu' gleg an' smilin',
Wi' mirth that's dear to me;
For he min's the fairy's sang,
But soon the big warl's cark an' care
An' the dreams that cam' beguilin';
Will quaten doon their glee.
But the meanin' o' the sang
Yet, come what will to ilka ane,
That a carefu' mither misses,
May he who rules aboon
This bit laddie winna tell,
Aye whisper, though their pows be bald,
Though she gi'es him fifty kisses.
"Oh, bairnie~, cuddle doon"
Ay, the sleep that comes when we
Are weans, an' rockit by oor fairy,
Fa's upon us saft as dew
Frae heaven's threshold high and airy:
Then we ken the mystic sang,
An' the forms we see when dreamin';
Pity that we miss them a'
When we grow to men and women.




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