David Webster: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Donald Gunn

David Webster

“Donald Gunn” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

David Webster: Collected Lyrics Text 1 1843 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Book of Scottish Song, edited by Alexander Whitelaw, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Heard ye e'er o' Donald Gunn,

Ance sae duddy, dowf, and needy,

Now a laird in yonder toun,

Callous-hearted, proud, and greedy.

Up the glen aboon the linn,

Donald met wi' Maggie Millar,

Wooed the lass amang the whins,

Because she had the word o' siller;

Meg was neither trig nor braw,

Had mae fauts than ane laid till her;

Donald looket ower them a',

A' his thought was on the siller.

Heard ye e'er, &c.

Donald grew baith braid and braw,

Ceased to bore the whinstone quarry,

Maggie's siller pays for a',

Breeks instead o' duddy barrie:

Though he's ignorant as a stirk,

Though he's doure as ony donkey;

Yet, by accidental jirk

Donald rides before a fltinky.

Heard ye e'er, &c.

Clachan bairnies roar wi' fright,

Clachan dogs tak' to their trotters,

Clachan wives the pathway dicht

To tranquillise his thraward features:

Gangrel bodies in the street

Beck and bow to make him civil,

Tenant bodies in his debt,

Shun him as they'd shun the devil.

Heard ye e'er, &c.

Few gangs trigger to the fair,

Few gangs to the kirk sae gaucie,—

Few wi' Donald can compare

To keep the cantel o' the causie:

In his breast a bladd o' stane,

Neith his hat a box o' brochan,

In his nieve a wally cane,

Thus the tyrant rules the clachan.

Heard ye e'er, &c.

Credits

Written by David Webster

Words by David Webster. Historical text published in The Book of Scottish Song (1843); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Book of Scottish Song (1843), edited by Alexander Whitelaw, “Donald Gunn”

Every contribution in this 1843 anthology predates modern copyright terms by more than a century; any contributor died at least 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide (life+70 terms expired no later than 2020).

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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