The Auld Folks

The auld folks sit by the fire,
  When the winter nichts are chill;
The auld wife she plies her wire,
  The auld man he quaffs his yill.
An’ meikle an’ lang they speak
  O’ their youthful days gane by,
When the rose it was on the cheek,
  An’ the pearl was on the eye!
 
They talk o’ their bairnies’ bairns,
  They talk o’ the brave and free,
They talk o’ their mountain cairns,
  An’ they talk o’ the rolling sea—
An’ meikle lang they speak
  O’ their youthful days gane by,
When the rose it was on the cheek,
  An’ the pearl it was on the eye.
 
They talk o’ their friends lang gane,
  An’ the tear draps blin’ their e’e;
They talk o’ the cauld kirk stane
  Where sune they baith maun be.
Yet each has had their half
  O’ the joys o’ this fitful sphere,
So, whiles the auld folk laugh,
  An’ whiles they drap a tear!