Skip to content
Linespedia

Caledonia.

By Robert Burns

Topics: classic

Tune - "Caledonian Hunt's Delight." I.         There was once a day - but old Time then was young -             That brave Caledonia, the chief of her line,         From some of your northern deities sprung,             (Who knows not that brave Caledonia's divine?)         From Tweed to the Orcades was her domain,             To hunt, or to pasture, or do what she would:         Her heav'nly relations there fixed her reign,             And pledg'd her their godheads to warrant it good. II.         A lambkin in peace, but a lion in war,             The pride of her kindred the heroine grew;         Her grandsire, old Odin, triumphantly swore             "Whoe'er shall provoke thee, th' encounter shall rue!"         With tillage or pasture at times she would sport,             To feed her fair flocks by her green rustling corn;         But chiefly the woods were her fav'rite resort,             Her darling amusement, the hounds and the horn. III.         Long quiet she reign'd; till thitherward steers             A flight of bold eagles from Adria's strand:         Repeated, successive, for many long years,             They darken'd the air, and they plunder'd the land:         Their pounces were murder, and terror their cry,             They'd conquer'd and ruin'd a world beside;         She took to her hills, and her arrows let fly -             The daring invaders they fled or they died. IV.         The fell harpy-raven took wing from the north,             The scourge of the seas, and the dread of the shore;         The wild Scandinavian boar issu'd forth             To wanton in carnage, and wallow in gore;         O'er countries and kingdoms their fury prevail'd,             No arts could appease them, no arms could repel;         But brave Caledonia in vain they assail'd,             As Largs well can witness, and Loncartie tell. V.         The Cameleon-savage disturbed her repose,             With tumult, disquiet, rebellion, and strife;         Provok'd beyond bearing, at last she arose,             And robb'd him at once of his hope and his life:         The Anglian lion, the terror of France,             Oft prowling, ensanguin'd the Tweed's silver flood:         But, taught by the bright Caledonian lance,             He learned to fear in his own native wood. VI.         Thus bold, independent, unconquer'd, and free,             Her bright course of glory for ever shall run:         For brave Caledonia immortal must be;             I'll prove it from Euclid as clear as the sun:         Rectangle-triangle, the figure we'll choose,             The upright is Chance, and old Time is the base;         But brave Caledonia's the hypothenuse;             Then ergo, she'll match them, and match them always.

AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.

About this line

"Tune - "Caledonian Hunt's Delight."..."

This evocative piece by Robert Burns, titled "Caledonia.", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

Attribution & Rights

Author:Robert Burns

"Tune - "Caledonian Hunt's Delight."..." by Robert Burns

For usage rights, copyright concerns, or to report an issue with this content, please visit our Copyright & Report page.

Related lines

"Here souter Hood in death does sleep;             To h--ll, if he's gane thither,         Satan, gie him thy gear to keep,             He'l"

"A guid New-year I wish thee, Maggie!         Hae, there's a rip to thy auld baggie:         Tho' thou's howe-backit, now, an' knaggie,"

"How cold is that bosom which folly once fired,             How pale is that cheek where the rouge lately glisten'd!         How silent that"

"Tune - "Rory Dall's Port." I.         Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;         Ae fareweel, and then for ever!         Deep in heart-wrung"

"Here morning in the ploughman's songs is met     Ere yet one footstep shows in all the sky,     And twilight in the east, a doubt as yet,     S"

"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Robert Burns

About Robert Burns

Robert Burns (1759–1796) was Scotland's national poet, celebrated worldwide on Burns Night. He wrote in Scots and English, producing poems like "Auld Lang Syne," "A Red, Red Rose," and "To a Mouse," championing democratic values and the dignity of common people.

Full Bibliography
Continue Reading

"Here souter Hood in death does sleep;             ..."

Weekly Poetic Insight

Join our literary Sanctuary

Get the most inspiring lines, poetic analysis, and secret shayaris delivered to your inbox every Sunday.