Robert Burns (1759–1796). Poems and Songs.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

262 . Delia: An Ode

FAIR the face of orient day,

Fair the tints of op’ning rose;

But fairer still my Delia dawns,

More lovely far her beauty shows.

Sweet the lark’s wild warbled lay,

Sweet the tinkling rill to hear;

But, Delia, more delightful still,

Steal thine accents on mine ear.

The flower-enamour’d busy bee

The rosy banquet loves to sip;

Sweet the streamlet’s limpid lapse

To the sun-brown’d Arab’s lip.

But, Delia, on thy balmy lips

Let me, no vagrant insect, rove;

O let me steal one liquid kiss,

For Oh! my soul is parch’d with love.