Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Duncan Gray 2

Robert Burns

“Duncan Gray 2” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 33 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

Duncan Gray cam' here to woo,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't,

On blythe Yule nicht, when we were fou,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't;

Maggie cuist her head fu' heich,

Look'd asklant, and unco skeigh,

Gart puir Duncan stand abeigh—

Ha, ha, the wooing o't.

Duncan fleech'd, and Duncan pray'd,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't;

Meg was deaf as Ailsa Craig,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't.

Duncan sigh'd baith out and in,

Grat his een baith bleert and blin',

Spak' o' louping ower a linn—

Ha, ha, the wooing o't.

Time and chance are but a tide,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't,

Slichtit love is sair to bide,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't;

Shall I, like a fool, quoth he,

For a hauchty hizzy dee?

She may gae to—France, for me!

Ha, ha, the wooing o't.

How it comes, let doctors tell,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't,

Meg grew sick—as he grew well,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't;

Something in her bosom wrings,

For relief a sigh she brings;

And O, her een, they spak' sic things!

Ha, ha, the wooing o't.

Duncan was a lad o' grace,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't,

Maggie's was a piteous case,

Ha, ha, the wooing o't.

Duncan couldna be her death,

Swelling pity smoor'd his wrath,

Now they're crouse and cantie baith;

Ha, ha, the wooing o't.

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, “Duncan Gray 2”

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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