“O, saw ye bonnie Leslie?”

Robert Burns (1759–1796)

O, SAW ye bonnie Leslie

As she gaed o’er the border?

She ’s gane, like Alexander,

To spread her conquests farther.

To see her is to love her,

And love but her forever;

For nature made her what she is,

And ne’er made sic anither!

Thou art a queen, fair Leslie,

Thy subjects we, before thee;

Thou art divine, fair Leslie,

The hearts o’ men adore thee.

The deil he could na scaith thee,

Or aught that wad belang thee;

He ’d look into thy bonnie face,

And say, “I canna wrang thee!”

The Powers aboon will tent thee;

Misfortune sha’ na steer thee;

Thou ’rt like themselves sae lovely

That ill they ’ll ne’er let near thee.

Return again, fair Leslie,

Return to Caledonie!

That we may brag we hae a lass

There ’s nane again sae bonnie.