Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Country Lassie

Robert Burns

“Country Lassie” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 135 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

In simmer when the hay was mawn,

And corn wav'd green in ilka field,

While claver blooms white o'er the lea,

And roses blaw in ilka bield;

Blithe Bessie in the milking shiel,

Says, 'I'll be wed, come o't what will;'

Out spak a dame in wrinkled eild,

'O' guid advisement comes nae ill.

Verse 2

'It's ye have wooers monie a ane,

And, lassie, ye're but young ye ken:

Then wait a wee, and cannie wale

A routhie butt, a routhie ben:

There's Johnie o' the Buskie-glen,

Fu' is his barn, fu' is his byre;

Tak this frae me, my bonie hen,

It's plenty beets the luver's fire.'

Verse 3

'For Johnie o' the Buskie-glen

I dinna care a single flie;

He lo'es sae weel his craps and kye,

He has nae luve to spare for me:

But blithe's the blink o' Robie's ee,

And weel I wat he lo'es me dear:

Ae blink o' him I wad nae gie

For Buskie-glen and a' his gear.'

Verse 4

'O thoughtless lassie, life's a faught!

The canniest gate, the strife is sair;

But aye fu' han't is fechtin best,

A hungry care's an unco care:

But some will spend, and some will spare,

An' wilfu' folks maun hae their will;

Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair,

Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill.'

Verse 5

'O, gear will buy me rigs o' land,

And gear will buy me sheep and kye.

But the tender heart o' leesome luve

The gowd and siller canna buy:

We may be poor—Robie and I,

Light is the burden luve lays on;

Content and luve brings peace and joy,

What mair hae queens upon a throne?

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), “Country Lassie”

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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