Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
| I’VE heard them lilting at our ewe-milking, | |
| Lasses a’ lilting before dawn o’ day; | |
| But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning— | |
| The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. | |
| |
| At bughts, in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning, | 5 |
| Lasses are lonely and dowie and wae; | |
| Nae daffing, nae gabbing, but sighing and sabbing, | |
| Ilk ane lifts her leglin and hies her away. | |
| |
| In hairst, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering, | |
| Bandsters are lyart, and runkled, and gray: | 10 |
| At fair or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching— | |
| The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. | |
| |
| At e’en, in the gloaming, nae swankies are roaming | |
| ‘Bout stacks wi’ the lasses at bogle to play; | |
| But ilk ane sits eerie, lamenting her dearie— | 15 |
| The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. | |
| |
| Dool and wae for the order sent our lads to the Border! | |
| The English, for ance, by guile wan the day; | |
| The Flowers of the Forest, that fought aye the foremost, | |
| The prime of our land, lie cauld in the clay. | 20 |
| |
| We’ll hear nae mair lilting at our ewe-milking; | |
| Women and bairns are heartless and wae; | |
| Sighing and moaning on ilka green loaning— | |
| The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. | |
