Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

She's fair and fause

Robert Burns

“She's fair and fause” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 321 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

She's fair and fause that causes my smart,

I lo'ed her meikle and lang:

She's broken her vow, she's broken my heart,

And I may e'en gae hang.

A coof cam in wi' rowth o' gear,

And I hae tint my dearest dear,

But woman is but warld's gear,

Sae let the bonie lass gang.

Verse 2

Whae'er ye be that woman love,

To this be never blind,

Nae ferlie 'tis tho' fickle she prove,

A woman has't by kind:

O Woman lovely, Woman fair!

An Angel form's faun to thy share,

'Twad been o'er meikle to've gien thee mair,

I mean an Angel mind.

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), “She's fair and fause”

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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