The Thames flows proudly to the sea,Where royal cities stately stand;But sweeter flows the Nith to me,Where Comyns ance had high command.When shall I see that honour’d land,That winding stream I love so dear!Must wayward Fortune’s adverse handFor ever, ever keep me here! How lovely, Nith, thy fruitful vales,Where bounding hawthorns gaily bloom;And sweetly spread […]

Young Jockie was the blythest lad,In a’ our town or here awa;Fu’ blythe he whistled at the gaud,Fu’ lightly danc’d he in the ha’. He roos’d my een sae bonie blue,He roos’d my waist sae genty sma’;An’ aye my heart cam to my mou’,When ne’er a body heard or saw. My Jockie toils upon the […]

My Sandy gied to me a ring,Was a’ beset wi’ diamonds fine;But I gied him a far better thing,I gied my heart in pledge o’ his ring. Chorus.–My Sandy O, my Sandy O,My bonie, bonie Sandy O;Tho’ the love that I oweTo thee I dare na show,Yet I love my love in secret, my Sandy […]

Chorus.–O mount and go, mount and make you ready,O mount and go, and be the Captain’s lady. When the drums do beat, and the cannons rattle,Thou shalt sit in state, and see thy love in battle:When the drums do beat, and the cannons rattle,Thou shalt sit in state, and see thy love in battle.O mount […]

O wilt thou go wi’ me, sweet Tibbie Dunbar?O wilt thou go wi’ me, sweet Tibbie Dunbar?Wilt thou ride on a horse, or be drawn in a car,Or walk by my side, O sweet Tibbie Dunbar? I care na thy daddie, his lands and his money,I care na thy kin, sae high and sae lordly;But […]

There’s a youth in this city, it were a great pityThat he from our lassies should wander awa’;For he’s bonie and braw, weel-favor’d witha’,An’ his hair has a natural buckle an’ a’. His coat is the hue o’ his bonnet sae blue,His fecket is white as the new-driven snaw;His hose they are blae, and his […]

Chorus.–Carle, an the King come,Carle, an the King come,Thou shalt dance and I will sing,Carle, an the King come. An somebody were come again,Then somebody maun cross the main,And every man shall hae his ain,Carle, an the King come.Carle, an the King come, etc. I trow we swapped for the worse,We gae the boot and […]

My heart is a-breaking, dear Tittie,Some counsel unto me come len’,To anger them a’ is a pity,But what will I do wi’ Tam Glen? I’m thinking, wi’ sic a braw fellow,In poortith I might mak a fen;What care I in riches to wallow,If I maunna marry Tam Glen! There’s Lowrie the Laird o’ Dumeller–“Gude day […]

My love, she’s but a lassie yet,My love, she’s but a lassie yet;We’ll let her stand a year or twa,She’ll no be half sae saucy yet;I rue the day I sought her, O!I rue the day I sought her, O!Wha gets her needs na say she’s woo’d,But he may say he’s bought her, O. Come, […]

John Anderson, my jo, John,When we were first acquent;Your locks were like the raven,Your bonie brow was brent;But now your brow is beld, John,Your locks are like the snaw;But blessings on your frosty pow,John Anderson, my jo. John Anderson, my jo, John,We clamb the hill thegither;And mony a cantie day, John,We’ve had wi’ ane anither:Now […]

First when Maggie was my care,Heav’n, I thought, was in her air,Now we’re married–speir nae mair,But whistle o’er the lave o’t! Meg was meek, and Meg was mild,Sweet and harmless as a child–Wiser men than me’s beguil’d;Whistle o’er the lave o’t! How we live, my Meg and me,How we love, and how we gree,I care […]

[Collecting The Antiquities Of That Kingdom] Hear, Land o’ Cakes, and brither Scots,Frae Maidenkirk to Johnie Groat’s;–If there’s a hole in a’ your coats,I rede you tent it:A chield’s amang you takin notes,And, faith, he’ll prent it: If in your bounds ye chance to lightUpon a fine, fat fodgel wight,O’ stature short, but genius bright,That’s […]

Chorus.–An’ O my Eppie, my jewel, my Eppie,Wha wad na be happy wi’ Eppie Adair? By love, and by beauty, by law, and by duty,I swear to be true to my Eppie Adair!By love, and by beauty, by law, and by duty,I swear to be true to my Eppie Adair!And O my Eppie, etc. A’ […]

Factor John! Factor John, whom the Lord made alone,And ne’er made anither, thy peer,Thy poor servant, the Bard, in respectful regard,He presents thee this token sincere,Factor John! He presents thee this token sincere. Afton’s Laird! Afton’s Laird, when your pen can be spared,A copy of this I bequeath,On the same sicker score as I mention’d […]

Tune–“Come rouse, Brother Sportsman!” Orthodox! orthodox, who believe in John Knox,Let me sound an alarm to your conscience:A heretic blast has been blown in the West,“That what is no sense must be nonsense,”Orthodox! That what is no sense must be nonsense. Doctor Mac! Doctor Mac, you should streek on a rack,To strike evil-doers wi’ terror:To […]

The Devil got notice that Grose was a-dyingSo whip! at the summons, old Satan came flying;But when he approached where poor Francis lay moaning,And saw each bed-post with its burthen a-groaning,Astonish’d, confounded, cries Satan–“By God,I’ll want him, ere I take such a damnable load!”

My Harry was a gallant gay,Fu’ stately strade he on the plain;But now he’s banish’d far away,I’ll never see him back again. Chorus.–O for him back again!O for him back again!I wad gie a’ Knockhaspie’s landFor Highland Harry back again. When a’ the lave gae to their bed,I wander dowie up the glen;I set me […]

I gaed a waefu’ gate yestreen,A gate, I fear, I’ll dearly rue;I gat my death frae twa sweet een,Twa lovely een o’bonie blue. ‘Twas not her golden ringlets bright,Her lips like roses wat wi’ dew,Her heaving bosom, lily-white–It was her een sae bonie blue. She talk’d, she smil’d, my heart she wyl’d;She charm’d my soul […]

(Willie Brew’d a Peck O’ Maut [1]) O Willie brew’d a peck o’ maut,And Rob and Allen cam to see;Three blyther hearts, that lee-lang night,Ye wadna found in Christendie. Chorus.–We are na fou, we’re nae that fou,But just a drappie in our ee;The cock may craw, the day may dawAnd aye we’ll taste the barley […]

On being appointed to an Excise division. Searching auld wives’ barrels,Ochon the day!That clarty barm should stain my laurels:But–what’ll ye say?These movin’ things ca’d wives an’ weans,Wad move the very hearts o’ stanes!