The Gard'Ner Wi' his Paidle by Robert Burns
The poem follows the Gard'ner through the flowering month of rosy May, when he works busily with his paidle among green bowers, falling waters, birdsong, and scented breezes. He rises early to go through the dew as morning drives the hare out to feed. At the end of the day, when Nature draws the curtain of rest, he leaves his labour and goes to the arms of the woman he loves best.
By Robert Burns · First published 1788 · Genre: Pastoral Lyric Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Love Poetry · 166 words
First lines
Tune-"The Gardener's March."
When rosy May comes in wi' flowers, / To deck her gay, green-spreading bowers, / Then busy, busy are his hours, / The Gard'ner wi' his paidle.
The crystal waters gently fa', / The merry bards are lovers a', / The scented breezes round him blaw- / The Gard'ner wi' his paidle.
When purple morning starts the hare / To steal upon her early fare; / Then thro' the dews he maun repair- / The Gard'ner wi' his paidle.
Similar titles
- Young Peggy Blooms by Robert Burns
- The Lass Of Cessnock Banks by Robert Burns
- Song Composed In Spring by Robert Burns
- One Night As I Did Wander by Robert Burns
- O Were I On Parnassus Hill by Robert Burns
- Montgomeries Peggy by Robert Burns
Genres
- Pastoral Lyric Poetry — The poem idealizes rural life through flowers, crystal waters, scented breezes, dawn, dusk, and the gardener's daily labor.
- Scottish Vernacular Poetry — Burns writes in Scots dialect, using forms such as 'wi'', 'maun,' 'blaw,' 'lo'es,' and 'fa',' which situate the poem in Scottish literary tradition.
- Love Poetry — The gardener's workday culminates in his return to 'her arms he lo'es the best,' making romantic devotion central to the poem's emotional resolution.
- Song Lyric — The work is explicitly assigned a tune, 'The Gardener's March,' and its regular stanzas, refrain-like repeated phrase, and musical rhythm suit singing.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · lyric poem · pastoral poetry · gardening · rural labor · springtime · May flowers · green bowers · morning dew · dawn · evening rest · nature imagery
What this Textopian page supports
The Gard'Ner Wi' his Paidle is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1788 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1788 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Pastoral Lyric Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Love Poetry, Song Lyric, Nature Poetry
- Length: 166 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Gard'Ner Wi' his Paidle by Robert Burns
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph