LOVE SONGS OF SCOTLAND

I

AE FOND KISS

(ROBERT BURNS)

AE fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, and then forever!

Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.
Who shall say that fortune grieves him
While the Star of Hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu' twinkle lights me;
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy,
Naething could resist my Nancy;
And to see her was to love her;
Love but her, and love forever.
Had we never loved so kindly,
Had we never loved sae blindly,
Never met or never parted,

We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

GREEN GROW THE RASHES, O!

Fare-thee weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,

Peace, enjoyment, love, and pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever,
Ae fareweel, alas! forever!

Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

II

GREEN GROW THE RASHES, O!

(ROBERT BURNS)

THERE'S nought but care on ev'ry han',
In every hour that passes, O;

What signifies the life o' man,
An 'twere na for the lassies, O.

Green grow the rashes, O!
Green grow the rashes, O!

The sweetest hours that e'er I spend
Are spent amang the lassies, O.

The war'ly race may riches chase,
An' riches still may fly them, O;
An' tho' at last they catch them fast,
Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O.

DOWN THE BURN, DAVIE

But gi'e me a canny hour at e'en,
My arms about my dearie, O;
An' war'ly cares, an' war'ly men,
May a' gae tapsalteerie, O.

For you sae douce, ye sneer at this,
Ye're nought but senseless asses, 0;
The wisest man the warl' e'er saw,
He dearly loved the lassies, O.

Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears,
Her noblest work she classes, O;
Her 'prentice han' she tried on man,
An' then she made the lasses, O.

III

DOWN THE BURN, DAVIE

(ROBERT CRAWFORD)

WHEN trees did bud, and fields were green, And broom bloom'd fair to see;

When Mary was complete fifteen,

And love laughed in her e'e;

Blythe Davie's blinks her heart did move

To speak her mind thus free;

Gang down the burn, Davie, love,

And I will follow thee.

DARK LOWERS THE NIGHT

Now Davie did each lad surpass
That dwelt on this burnside;
And Mary was the bonniest lass,
Just meet to be a bride.

Her cheeks were rosie, red and white;
Her een were bonnie blue;

Her looks were like Aurora bright,
Her lips like dropping dew.

As down the burn they took their way, And through the flow'ry dale;

His cheek to hers he aft did lay,

And love was aye the tale.

With, Mary, when shall we return,

Sic pleasure to renew?

Quoth Mary, Love, I like the burn,
And aye will follow you.

IV

DARK LOWERS THE NIGHT

(ALEXANDER WILSON)

DARK lowers the night o'er the wide stormy

main,

Till mild rosy morning rise cheerful again; Alas! morn returns to revisit the shore; But Connel returns to his Flora no more.