Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The young Highland Rover

Robert Burns

“The young Highland Rover” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 434 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

Loud blaw the frosty breezes,

The snaws the mountains cover;

Like winter on me seizes,

Since my young Highland Rover

Far wanders nations over.

Where'er he go, where'er he stray,

May Heaven be his warden:

Return him safe to fair Strathspey,

And bonie Castle-Gordon!

Verse 2

The trees now naked groaning,

Shall soon wi' leaves be hinging,

The birdies dowie moaning,

Shall a' be blithely singing,

And every flower be springing.

Sae I'll rejoice the lee-lang day,

When by his mighty warden

My youth's return'd to fair Strathspey,

And bonie Castle-Gordon.

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 young Highland Rover”

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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