The Inauguration of the Hill o' Balgay by William Topaz McGonagall
Beautiful Hill o' Balgay, With your green frees and flowers fair, 'Tis health for the old and young For to be walking there, To breathe the fragrant air Emanating from the green bushes And beautiful flowers there, Then they can through the burying-ground roam, And read the epitaphs on the tombstones Before they go home. There the lovers can wander safe arm in arm, For policemen are there to protect them from harm And to watch there all day, So that no accident can befall them In the Hill o' Balgay. Then there's Harry Scott's mansion, Most beautiful to be seen, Also the Law Hill, likewise the Magdalen Green, And the silvery Tay, Rolling on its way. And the coast of Fife, And the beautiful town of St. Andrews, Where Cardinal Beaten lost his life; And to be seen on a clear summer day, From the top of the beautiful Hill o' Balgay. On the opening day of the Hill o' Balgay, It was a most beautiful sight to see Numerous bands, with flags and banners, assembled in Dundee, All in grand procession, with spirits light, that day, March'd out the Blackness Road to the Hill o' Balgay. The Earl o' Dalhousie was there on the opening day, Also Harry Scott, the young laird o' Balgay, And he made a great speech to the people there, And they applauded him with cries that rent the air. The Earl o' Dalhousie made a fine speech in his turn, And said there was only one thing that caus'd him to mourn,- There was no profection from the rain in the Hill o' Balgay, And he would give another five hundred pounds away For to erect a shed for the people upon a rainy day, To keep them dry and comfortable on the Hill o' Balgay. Then the people applauded him with three loud cheers, For their hearts were all opened, and flowed with joyous tears, So they all dispers'd quietly with spirits light that day, And that ended the inauguration of the Hill o' Balgay.