Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

O saw ye my dear

Robert Burns

“O saw ye my dear” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 267 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 saw ye my dear, my Phely?

O saw ye my dear, my Phely?

She's down i' the grove, she's wi' a new love,

She winna come hame to her Willy.

Verse 2

What says she, my dearest, my Phely?

What says she, my dearest, my Phely?

She lets thee to wit that she has thee forgot,

And forever disowns thee her Willy.

Verse 3

O had I ne'er seen thee, my Phely!

O had I ne'er seen thee, my Phely!

As light as the air, and fause as thou's fair,

Thou'st broken the heart o' thy Willy.

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), “O saw ye my dear”

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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