[
  {
    "title": "201. Birthday Ode for 31st December, 1787",
    "author": "Robert Burns",
    "lines": [
      "AFAR 1 the illustrious Exile roams,",
      "    Whom kingdoms on this day should hail;",
      "  An inmate in the casual shed,",
      "  On transient pity’s bounty fed,",
      "    Haunted by busy memory’s bitter tale!",
      "  Beasts of the forest have their savage homes,",
      "    But He, who should imperial purple wear,",
      "Owns not the lap of earth where rests his royal head!",
      "    His wretched refuge, dark despair,",
      "  While ravening wrongs and woes pursue,",
      "  And distant far the faithful few",
      "    Who would his sorrows share.",
      "",
      "",
      "  False flatterer, Hope, away!",
      "    Nor think to lure us as in days of yore:",
      "  We solemnize this sorrowing natal day,",
      "    To prove our loyal truth-we can no more,",
      "  And owning Heaven’s mysterious sway,",
      "    Submissive, low adore.",
      "",
      "",
      "  Ye honored, mighty Dead,",
      "    Who nobly perished in the glorious cause,",
      "    Your King, your Country, and her laws,",
      "  From great DUNDEE, who smiling Victory led,",
      "  And fell a Martyr in her arms,",
      "  (What breast of northern ice but warms!)",
      "  To bold BALMERINO’S undying name,",
      "  Whose soul of fire, lighted at Heaven’s high flame,",
      "Deserves the proudest wreath departed heroes claim:",
      "  Nor unrevenged your fate shall lie,",
      "    It only lags, the fatal hour,",
      "  Your blood shall, with incessant cry,",
      "    Awake at last, th’ unsparing Power;",
      "  As from the cliff, with thundering course,",
      "    The snowy ruin smokes along",
      "  With doubling speed and gathering force,",
      "Till deep it, crushing, whelms the cottage in the vale;",
      "    So Vengeance’ arm, ensanguin’d, strong,",
      "  Shall with resistless might assail,",
      "  Usurping Brunswick’s pride shall lay,",
      "And STEWART’S wrongs and yours, with tenfold weight repay.",
      "",
      "",
      "  PERDITION, baleful child of night!",
      "  Rise and revenge the injured right",
      "    Of STEWART’S royal race:",
      "  Lead on the unmuzzled hounds of hell,",
      "  Till all the frighted echoes tell",
      "    The blood-notes of the chase!",
      "  Full on the quarry point their view,",
      "  Full on the base usurping crew,",
      "The tools of faction, and the nation’s curse!",
      "  Hark how the cry grows on the wind;",
      "  They leave the lagging gale behind,",
      "  Their savage fury, pitiless, they pour;",
      "  With murdering eyes already they devour;",
      "    See Brunswick spent, a wretched prey,",
      "  His life one poor despairing day,",
      "Where each avenging hour still ushers in a worse!",
      "    Such havock, howling all abroad,",
      "      Their utter ruin bring,",
      "    The base apostates to their God,",
      "      Or rebels to their King.",
      "",
      "",
      " Note 1. The last birthday of Prince Charles Edward. [back]"
    ],
    "linecount": "60"
  }
]