Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

A Mother's Lament for the Death of her Son

Robert Burns

“A Mother's Lament for the Death of her Son” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 89 1887 · historical text
Public domainScottish songSong lyrics
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Poetical Works of Robert Burns, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Fate gave the word, the arrow sped,

And pierc'd my darling's heart;

And with him all the joys are fled

Life can to me impart!

By cruel hands the sapling drops,

In dust dishonour'd laid:

So fell the pride of all my hopes,

My age's future shade.

Verse 2

The mother-linnet in the brake

Bewails her ravish'd young;

So I, for my lost darling's sake,

Lament the live-day long.

Death, oft I've fear'd thy fatal blow,

Now, fond, I bare my breast,

O, do thou kindly lay me low

With him I love, at rest!

Credits

Written by Robert Burns

Words by Robert Burns. Historical text published in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887), “A Mother's Lament for the Death of her Son”

Every text in this 1887 collected edition is by Robert Burns (1759-1796), who died more than 230 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination and a pre-1931 United States publication.

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 2026-10-25. 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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