Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Happy Trio

Robert Burns

“The Happy Trio” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 383 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, Willie brew'd a peck o' maut,

And Rob and Allan cam to pree;

Three blither hearts, that lee-lang night,

Ye wad na find in Christendie.

Verse 2

CHORUS.

We are na fou, we're no that fou,

But just a drappie in our ee;

The cock may craw, the day may daw,

And aye we'll taste the barley bree.

Verse 3

Here are we met, three merry boys,

Three merry boys I trow are we;

And monie a night we've merry been,

And monie mae we hope to be!

We are na fou, &c.

Verse 4

It is the moon, I ken her horn,

That's blinkin in the lift sae hie;

She shines sae bright to wyle us hame,

But by my sooth she'll wait a wee!

We are na fou, &c.

Verse 5

Wha first shall rise to gang awa,

A cuckold, coward loun is he!

Wha first beside his chair shall fa',

He is the King amang us three!

We are na fou, &c.

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 Happy Trio”

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

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