Skip to content

Hallow Fair - a poem

Campbell, Donald, 2012, Document, Reproduction
Hallow Fair - a poem
Hallow Fair - a poem
Hallow Fair - a poem
Share
Category
Library Item
Item no
35676
Title
Hallow Fair - a poem
Description
Donald Campbell's poem is inspired by a painting by Walter Geikie:

Hallow Fair*

At summer's end, a certain chill
pervades Auld Reekie's air
as traders by the dozen fill
Grassmarket's sheltered square
While jugglers, clowns and fiddlers fill
the empty spaces there.
Wat, Tam and Tibbie, James and Jill,
dressed in their best, prepare
to dally and daff and have their fill
of sheer delight
when dancing at the Hallow Fair.

On luckenbooths you'll find displayed
delightful and delicious fare;
Corstorphine cream that's freshly made
and plenty gingerbread to spare!
Macaronies are on parade,
with lippies full of lemonade,
petticoats flouncing everywhere
so tunefully the music's played
both day and night
for dancing at the Hallow Fair,

Each chancer and each merry maid
is certainly aware
There's money in the equine trade
and look to take their share.
Such clever dicks
may get their licks
Meanwhile, we'd best beware
that crafty dips and three-card tricks
are like to bite
when dancing at the Hallow Fair.

As shelties canter up the causey
horse-copers place their bets
and sonsie quines, all jimp and gaucy,
skip deftly owre the sunlit setts,
Our laddies need have no regrets
to see so many mignonettes,
if they're inclined to stare.
There's no way that the mind forgets
the pleasing sight
of dancing at the Hallow Fair.
Artist / maker
Date
2012