I Do Confess Thou Art Sae Fair
written in 1792
I Do Confess Thou Art Sae Fair - meaning Summary
Praise Turned Into Warning
The speaker admits the beloved’s physical beauty and sweetness but quickly reproves her for wasting those gifts on casual favors. He compares her to a rose that loses scent and value once picked, warning that her thriftless generosity will lead others to discard her like a common weed. The poem frames attraction alongside moral judgment, turning praise into a caution about the fleetingness of beauty and the social cost of perceived promiscuity.
Read Complete AnalysesI do confess thou art sae fair, I wad been o'er the lugs in luve; Had I na found, the slightest prayer That lips could speak, thy heart could muve. I do confess thee sweet, but find, Thou art sae thriftless o' thy sweets, Thy favors are the silly wind That kisseth ilka thing it meets. See yonder rose-bud, rich in dew, Amang its native briers sae coy, How sune it tines its scent and hue, When pu'd and worn a common toy! Sic fate ere lang shall thee betide; Tho' thou may gayly bloom a while, Yet sune thou shalt be thrown aside, Like ony common weed and vile.
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