Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Weary fa' you, Duncan Gray

Robert Burns

“Weary fa' you, Duncan Gray” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 490 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

Weary fa' you, Duncan Gray—

Ha, ha, the girdin o't!

Wae gae by you, Duncan Gray—

Ha, ha, the girdin o't!

When a' the lave gae to their play,

Then I maun sit the lee-lang day,

And jog the cradle wi' my tae,

And a' for the girdin o't.

Verse 2

Bonie was the Lammas moon—

Ha, ha, the girdin o't!

Glowrin' a' the hills aboon—

Ha, ha, the girdin o't!

The girdin brak, the beast cam down,

I tint my curch, and baith my shoon;

Ah! Duncan, ye're an unco loon—

Wae on the bad girdin o't!

Verse 3

But, Duncan, gin ye'll keep your aith―

Ha, ha, the girdin o't!

Ise bless you wi' my hindmost breath—

Ha, ha, the girdin o't!

Duncan, gin ye'll keep your aith,

The beast again can bear us baith,

And auld Mess John will mend the skaith,

And clout the bad girdin o't.

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), “Weary fa' you, Duncan Gray”

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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