Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Merry hae I been teethin' a Heckle

Robert Burns

“Merry hae I been teethin' a Heckle” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 228 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

O merry hae I been teethin' a heckle,

And merry hae I been shapin' a spoon;

O merry hae I been cloutin a kettle,

And kissin' my Katie when a' was done.

O a' the lang day I ca' at my hammer,

An' a' the lang day I whistle and sing,

A' the lang night I cuddle my kimmer,

An' a' the lang night as happy's a King.

Verse 2

Bitter in dool I lickit my winnins,

O' marrying Bess, to gie her a slave:

Bless'd be the hour she cool'd in her linnens,

And blythe be the bird that sings on her grave.

Come to my arms, my Katie, my Katie,

An' come to my arms, and kiss me again!

Drunken or sober, here's to thee, Katie!

And bless'd be the day I did it again.

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), “Merry hae I been teethin' a Heckle”

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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