O Lay Thy Loof in Mine Lass
written in 1796
O Lay Thy Loof in Mine Lass - fact Summary
Burns' Personal Love Affairs
This short lyric is a direct, earnest petition for pledge and fidelity. The speaker repeatedly urges a lover to place her hand in his and swear to be "his ain," admitting a history of fleeting attachments but insisting she alone occupies his heart now. The recurring chorus of entreaty gives the poem a songlike, persuasive urgency. Written in 1796, the poem connects to Burns’s real-life entanglements: it foregrounds personal longing and the desire to convert past inconstancy into a lasting bond.
Read Complete AnalysesO lay thy loof in mine lass, In mine lass, in mine lass, And swear on thy white hand lass, That thou wilt be my ain. A slave to love's unbounded sway, He aft has wrought me meikle wae; But now he is my deadly fae, Unless thou be my ain. O lay thy loof in mine lass, In mine lass, in mine lass, And swear on thy white hand lass, That thou wilt be my ain. There's monie a lass has broke my rest, That for a blink I hae lo'ed best; But thou art queen within my breast For ever to remain. O lay thy loof in mine lass, In mine lass, in mine lass, And swear on thy white hand lass, That thou wilt be my ain.
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