Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

As I was a Wandering

Robert Burns

“As I was a Wandering” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 114 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

As I was a wand'ring ae midsummer e'enin',

The pipers and youngsters were making their game;

Amang them I spied my faithless fause lover,

Which bled a' the wounds o' my dolour again.

Verse 2

Weel, since he has left me, may pleasure gae wi' him;

I may be distress'd, but I winna complain;

I flatter my fancy I may get anither,

My heart it shall never be broken for ane.

Verse 3

I could get na sleeping till dawin' for greetin',

The tears trickled down like the hail and the rain;

Had I na got greetin', my heart wad a broken,

For, oh! love forsaken's a tormenting pain.

Verse 4

Although he has left me for greed o' the siller,

I dinna envy him the gains he can win;

I rather wad bear a' the lade o' my sorrow

Than ever hae acted sae faithless to him.

Verse 5

Weel, since he has left me, may pleasure gae wi' him,

I may be distress'd, but I winna complain;

I flatter my fancy I may get anither,

My heart it shall never be broken for ane.

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), “As I was a Wandering”

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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