Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Lines written at Loudon Manse

Robert Burns

“Lines written at Loudon Manse” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 220 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

The night was still, and o'er the hill

The moon shone on the castle wa';

The mavis sang, while dew-drops hang

Around her, on the castle wa'.

Verse 2

Sae merrily they danced the ring,

Frae eenin' till the cock did craw;

And aye the o'erword o' the spring,

Was Irvine's bairns are bonie a'.

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), “Lines written at Loudon Manse”

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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