Sorry for the delay, It was in the attic....

The Fishermans Farewell to the Coquet

Come bring to me my limber gad I fished with many a year And let me hae my well worn creel an a' my fishin gear The sunbeams glint on Linden Ha The breeze blows frae the west And lovely looks the golden morn on the stream that I love best

Ive thrawn the flee thae sixty year, aye sixty year and mair and many a speckled trout i had with heckle hauk and hair and now I m old and feeble grown my locks are like the snow But i'd gang again to coquetside to take anither throw

Oh Coquet in my youthful days thy river sweetly ran And sweetly in the wooded braes the bonny birdies sang But streams may run and birds may sing sma' joy they bring to me The blithesome strains I dimly hear, the streams i dimly see

But once agin the well-kenned sounds my minutes shall beguile And glistening in the early sun I see thy waters smile And sorrow shall forget his sigh and age forget his pain And once more down by coquetside my heart be young again

Once mair Ill touch with gleesome foot the waters clear and cold And I will cheat the gleg-eyed trout and while him frae his hold Once mair at Weldons friendly door Ill wind my tackle up And drink success to coquetside, though a tear fa in the cup

So now farewell to Coquetside Aye gaily may thou run And lead the waters sparkling on and dash frae linn to linn Blithe be the music of thy streamand banks in after days And so be every fishers heart That treads upon thy braes

Robert Roxby 1825