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:

But to see her was to love her;

Love but her, and love for ever. –

Had we never lov’d sae kindly,

Had we never lov’d sae blindly!

Never met – or never parted,

We had ne’er been broken-hearted. –

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 farewell, alas, forever!

Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,

Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee. –

HIGHLAND MARY
Tune: Katherine Ogie

Ye banks and braes and streams around

The castle o Montgomery,

Green be your woods, and fair your flowers,

Your waters never drumlie!

There Summer first unfald her robes,

And there the longest tarry!

For there I took the last fareweel

O my sweet Highland Mary!

How sweetly bloom’d the gay, green birk,

How rich the hawthorn’s blossom;

As underneath their fragrant shade,

I clasp’d her to my bosom!

The golden hours on angel wings

Flew o’er me and my dearie:

For dear to me as light and life

Was my sweet Highland Mary.

Wi monie a vow and lock’d embrace

Our parting was fu tender;

And, pledging aft to meet again,

We tore oursels asunder.

But O! fell Death’s untimely frost,

That nipt my flower sae early!

Now green’s the sod, and cauld’s the clay,

That wraps my Highland Mary!

O, pale, pale now, those rosy lips

I aft hae kiss’d sae fondly;

And clos’d for ay, the sparkling glance,

That dwalt on me sae kindly;

And mouldering now in silent dust

That heart that lo’ed me dearly!

But still within my bosom’s core

Shall live my Highland Mary.

A RED RED ROSE

O, my luve is like a red, red rose,

That’s newly sprung in June.

O, my luve is like the melodie,

That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,

So deep in luve am I,

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi the sun!

I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!

And fare thee weel, a while!

And I will come again, my luve,

Tho it were ten thousand mile!

O, WERT THOU IN THE CAULD BLAST
Tune: Lenox love to Blantyre

O, wert thou in the cauld blast

On yonder lea, on yonder lea,

My plaidie to the angry airt,

I’d shelter thee, I’d shelter thee.

Or did Misfortune’s bitter storms

Around thee blaw, around thee blaw,

Thy bield should be my bosom,

To share it a’, to share it a’.

Or were I in the wildest waste,