Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Green grow the Rashes

Robert Burns

“Green grow the Rashes” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 177 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

CHORUS.

Green grow the rashes, O;

Green grow the rashes, O;

The sweetest hours that e'er I spend,

Are spent amang the lasses, O!

Verse 2

There's nought but care on ev'ry han',

In ev'ry hour that passes, O;

What signifies the life o' man,

An' 'twere na for the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.

Verse 3

The warly race may riches chase,

An' riches still may fly them, O;

An' tho' at last they catch them fast,

Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O.

Green grow, &c.

Verse 4

But gie me a canny hour at e'en,

My arms about my dearie, O;

An' warly cares, an' warly men,

May a' gae tapsalterie, O!

Green grow, &c.

Verse 5

For you sae douse, ye sneer at this,

Ye're nought but senseless asses, O:

The wisest man the warl' saw,

He dearly lov'd the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.

Verse 6

Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears

Her noblest work she classes, O;

Her prentice han' she tried on man,

An' then she made the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.

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), “Green grow the Rashes”

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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