Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
369 / 519
Public-domain lyrics

The Cooper o' Cuddie

Robert Burns

“The Cooper o' Cuddie” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 369 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 Cooper o' Cuddie cam here awa,

And ca'd the girrs out owre us a'—

And our gude-wife has gotten a ca'

That anger'd the silly gude-man, O.

We'll hide the cooper behind the door,

Behind the door, behind the door;

We'll hide the cooper behind the door,

And cover him under a mawn, O.

Verse 2

He sought them out, he sought them in,

Wi', Deil hae her! and, Deil hae him!

But the body was sae doited and blin',

He wist na where he was gaun, O.

Verse 3

They cooper'd at e'en, they cooper'd at morn,

Till our gude-man has gotten the scorn;

On ilka brow she's planted a horn,

And swears that they shall stan', O.

We'll hide the cooper behind the door,

Behind the door, behind the door;

We'll hide the cooper behind the door,

And cover him under a mawn, O.

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 Cooper o' Cuddie”

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.
Keep tracing

More from Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics.

01A Rose-budPublic-domain lyrics02A red, red RosePublic-domain lyrics03Address to a LadyPublic-domain lyrics04AdieuPublic-domain lyrics