Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. III. The Eighteenth Century: Addison to Blake

Robert Burns (1759–1796)

The Birks of Aberfeldy

BONIE lassie, will ye go,

Will ye go, will ye go,

Bonie lassie, will ye go,

To the Birks of Aberfeldy?

Now simmer blinks on flowery braes,

And o’er the crystal streamlet plays,

Come let us spend the lightsome days

In the Birks of Aberfeldy.

While o’er their heads the hazels hing,

The little birdies blithely sing,

Or lightly flit on wanton wing,

In the Birks of Aberfeldy.

The braes ascend like lofty wa’s,

The foaming stream deep roaring fa’s,

O’er-hung wi’ fragrant spreading shaws,

The Birks of Aberfeldy.

The hoary cliffs are crown’d wi’ flowers,

White o’er the linns the burnie pours,

And, rising, weets wi’ misty showers

The Birks of Aberfeldy.

Let fortune’s gifts at random flee,

They ne’er shall draw a wish frae me,

Supremely blest wi’ love and thee,

In the Birks of Aberfeldy.