The Bonie Moor-Hen by Robert Burns
“The Bonie Moor-Hen” describes a dawn hunt across heather, meadows, moors, mosses, and glens, where a group of young men discover an exceptionally beautiful moor-hen. The refrain warns hunters to be cautious: they may take other game in flight or as it rises, but must steal carefully upon such a bird. The moor-hen’s bright colours show against the mossy hills, and her plumage surpasses the splendour of spring as she plays joyfully on the wing. Even Phoebus, looking over the hill, cannot outshine her with his rays. The hunters search both valley and hill with all their skill, but whenever the bird sits visibly before them, she suddenly flies away for a mile.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Folk Song, Scottish Vernacular Poetry · 297 words
First lines
The heather was blooming, the meadows were mawn, / Our lads gaed a-hunting ae day at the dawn, / O'er moors and o'er mosses and mony a glen, / At length they discover'd a bonie moor-hen.
Chorus. -I rede you, beware at the hunting, young men, / I rede you, beware at the hunting, young men; / Take some on the wing, and some as they spring, / But cannily steal on a bonie moor-hen.
Sweet-brushing the dew from the brown heather bells / Her colours betray'd her on yon mossy fells; / Her plumage outlustr'd the pride o' the spring / And O! as she wanton'd sae gay on the wing. / I rede you, &c.
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The Bonie Moor-Hen is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1792 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1792 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Folk Song, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Pastoral Poetry, Hunting Song
- Length: 297 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, highly musical poem focused on vivid natural imagery, admiration, and repeated refrain rather than sustained narrative development.
- Folk Song — Its stanza-and-chorus structure, direct language, repetition, and memorable refrain give it the form and style of a traditional Scottish song.
- Scottish Vernacular Poetry — The poem is written substantially in Scots diction and idiom, including words such as 'bonie,' 'gaed,' 'mawn,' 'cannily,' and 'brae.'
- Pastoral Poetry — Heather, meadows, mosses, glens, hills, dew, birds, and sunrise create an idealized rural landscape central to the poem's atmosphere.
Tags
Scottish song · Scots language · hunting poem · moorland setting · dawn hunt · heather · meadows · mossy hills · glens · young hunters · moor-hen · game bird