The Night was Still, and o'Er the Hill
On a still moonlit night, a mavis sings from the castle wall as dew gathers around her. From evening until the cock crows, people dance joyfully in a ring, repeating the praise that “Irvine’s bairns are bonie a’.”
By Robert Burns · First published 1808 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Pastoral Poetry · 86 words
First lines
The night was still, and o'er the hill / The moon shone on the castle wa'; / The mavis sang, while dew-drops hang / Around her on the castle wa'; / Sae merrily they danced the ring / Frae eenin' till the cock did craw; / And aye the o'erword o' the spring / Was "Irvine's bairns are bonie a'. "
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, song-like poem centered on mood, musical language, repetition, and a compact emotional image rather than narrative development.
- Scottish Vernacular Poetry — It is written substantially in Scots dialect, using forms such as "o'er," "wa'," "sae," "eenin'," and "bairns," characteristic of Burns's Scottish poetic practice.
- Pastoral Poetry — Its moonlit natural setting, singing mavis, dew, springtime, and communal dancing create an idealized rural scene.
- Nature Poetry — The poem foregrounds nocturnal landscape details, including the still night, moon, hill, bird song, dew-drops, spring, and the dawn cockcrow.
Tags
Scottish poetry · Scots language · lyric poem · nighttime · moonlight · castle setting · castle wall · mavis song · birdsong · dew · spring · ring dance
What this Textopian page supports
The Night was Still, and o'Er the Hill is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1808 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1808 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Pastoral Poetry, Nature Poetry, Folk Song
- Length: 86 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
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