Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The blude red Rose at Yule may blaw

Robert Burns

“The blude red Rose at Yule may blaw” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 421 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 blude red rose at Yule may blaw,

The simmer lilies bloom in snaw,

The frost may freeze the deepest sea;

But an auld man shall never daunton me.

Verse 2

To daunton me, and me sae young,

Wi' his fause heart and flatt'ring tongue,

That is the thing you ne'er shall see;

For an auld man shall never daunton me.

Verse 3

For a' his meal and a' his maut,

For a' his fresh beef and his saut,

For a' his gold and white monie,

An auld man shall never daunton me.

Verse 4

His gear may buy him kye and yowes,

His gear may buy him glens and knowes;

But me he shall not buy nor fee,

For an auld man shall never daunton me.

Verse 5

He hirples twa fauld as he dow,

Wi' his teethless gab and his auld beld pow,

And the rain rains down frae his red bleer'd ee—

That auld man shall never daunton me.

Verse 6

To daunton me, and me sae young,

Wi' his fause heart and flatt'ring tongue,

That is the thing you ne'er shall see;

For an auld man shall never daunton me.

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), “The blude red Rose at Yule may blaw”

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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