Robert Crawford sings of them as "Cheviot braes so soft and gay," and Gilpin likens the hirsels browsing on the most acclivitous to pictures hung on immense green walls.
Hamilton of Bangour, best known for his "Braes of Yarrow," has an autumn and winter description of Tweedside which naturally suggests the like picture by Scott in the Introduction to Canto I.
Ay, but there are nae linties in the woods, and nae braes like Yarrow!
There is a placid monotone about its bare treeless scenery--an unbroken pastoral stillness on the sloping braes and hillsides, as they rise, fall, and bend in a uniformly deep colouring.
Four has he hurt, and five has slain; On the bloody braes of Yarrow, Till that stubborn knight came him behind, And ran his body thorough.
On the green braes of Crichton, therefore, in due time the young Douglases arrived with their sparse train of thirty riders.
But it was a ploy of their own, which they desired to finish that they might go trig and point-device to the Earl's weapon-showing to-morrow on the braes of Balmaghie.
But he has become too great a man to carry you and me any more over the stepping-stones at the ford, or pull with us the ripe berries when the briars are drooping purple on the braes of Keltonhill.
As he approached the sentries who stood on guard upon the broomy braes betwixt Merchiston and Bruntsfield, he was challenged in a fierce southland shout by one of the Carsphairn levies who knew him not.
Firth of Tay; Strathmore and the Carse of Gowrie are fertile valleys, where agriculture and cattle-rearing flourish, and which, with the Braes of Angus in the N.
Not the braes of broom and heather, Nor the mountains dark with rain, Nor maiden bower, nor border tower, Have heard your sweetest strain!
The roads here are glorious, and what matter the hills when the air is so fresh and invigorating; if there are braes that one must walk up, there are also braes down which one can roll, at any speed one pleases without a touch on treadle.
Half an hour afterwards, Maggie May, Bob, and I were on the braesabove Balhaggarty.
And besides, she has gathered gowans on the braes at home.
Too rashly bauld a stronger arm Thou mett'st, and fell on the Braes of Yarrow.
O 'tis he the comely swain I slew Upon the duleful Braes of Yarrow.
And why daur ye nae mair weel be seen Pu'ing the birks on the Braes of Yarrow?
The boy took out his milk-white, milk-white steed, Unheedful of my dule and sorrow: But ere the toofall of the night He lay a corpse on the Braes of Yarrow.
How luve him on the banks of Tweed, That slew my luve on the Braes of Yarrow?
Thy luver heeds none of thy sighs, He lyes a corpse on the Braes of Yarrow.
Tweed, As green its grass, its gowan as yellow, As sweet smells on its braes the birk, The apple frae its rocks as mellow.
My happy sisters may be, may be proud With cruel and ungentle scoffin', May bid me seek on Yarrow Braes My luver nailed in his coffin.
Lang mann she weep, lang maun she, maun she weep, Lang maun she weep with dule and sorrow, And lang maun I nae mair weel be seen Pu'ing the birks on the Braes of Yarrow.
Wash, O wash his wounds, his wounds in tears, His wounds in tears with dule and sorrow; And wrap his limbs in mourning weids, And lay him on the Braes of Yarrow.
By Auchtertyre grows the aik, On Yarrow banks the birken shaw; But Phemie was a bonnier lass Than braes of Yarrow ever saw.
She's stately like yon youthful ash, That grows the cowslip braes between, And drinks the stream with vigour fresh; An' she has twa sparkling roguish een.
The air of "Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon" CCCV.
And why dare ye nae mair weil be seen 15 Puing the birks on the Braes of Yarrow?
Too rashly bauld a stronger arm Thou mett'st, and fell'st on the Braes of Yarrow.
I gat her where I dare na weil be seen, Puing the birks[878] on the Braes of Yarrow.
Wash, O wash his wounds, his wounds in tears, His wounds in tears with dule and sorrow; And wrap his limbs in mourning weids, 35 And lay him on the Braes of Yarrow.
John Logan's Braes of Yarrow is founded on the latter.
How luve him upon the banks of Tweed, That slew my luve on the Braes of Yarrow?
My happy sisters may be, may be proud With cruel, and ungentle scoffin', 90 May bid me seek on Yarrow's Braes My luver nailed in his coffin.
O lordly flow the Loire and Seine, And loud the dark Durance: But bonnier shine the braes of Tyne Than a’ the fields of France; And the waves of Till that speak sae still Gleam goodlier where they glance.
Yet let us meet in some far country, and, whether we hail from the braes of Manor or the braes of Mar, some ready-made affection joins us on the instant.
But he had a strong spirit of duty on him; and plodded on instead over the braes till he came near the House of Cairngorm.
The next day M'Brair was abroad in the afternoon, and had a long advising with Janet on the braes where she herded cattle.
He visited "the bonnie braes of Yarrow," in company with Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd.
And what are Gordon's crosses To them who sit by Kirtle's Braes Upon the verdant mosses?
The intermediate stanzas suggest Burns's 'Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon, How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair!
The road it was lang and weary; 25 The braes they were ill to climb; Bonny Lizie was weary wi' travelling, And a fit furder coudna win.
The McKenzies were absent, and Uncle Neil never sang the "Standard on the Braes o' Mar" any more.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "braes" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
