Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Charlie he's my darling

Robert Burns

“Charlie he's my darling” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 25 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

"It's up yon heathery mountain,

And down yon scroggy glen,

We daurna gang a-milking,

For Charlie and his men."]

Verse 2

'Twas on a Monday morning,

Richt early in the year,

That Charlie cam' to our toun,

The young Chevalier.

And Charlie he's my darling,

My darling, my darling;

Charlie he's my darling,

The young Chevalier.

As he was walking up the street,

The city for to view,

O there he spied a bonnie lass,

The window looking through.

Sae licht's he jumped up the stair,

And tirl'd at the pin;

And wha sae ready as hersel',

To let the laddie in!

He set his Jenny on his knee,

All in his Highland dress;

For brawly weel he kenned the way

To please a bonnie lass.

It's up yon heathery mountain,

And down yon scroggy glen,

We daurna gang a-milking,

For Charlie and his men.

Credits

Written by Robert Burns

Words by Robert Burns. 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, “Charlie he's my darling”

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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