Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Young Jockey

Robert Burns

“Young Jockey” as printed in The Poetical Works of Robert Burns (1887).

Robert Burns: Collected Lyrics Text 515 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

Young Jockey was the blithest lad

In a' our town or here awa;

Fu' blithe he whistled at the gaud,

Fu' lightly danc'd he in the ha'!

He roos'd my een sae bonie blue,

He roos'd my waist sae genty sma';

An' aye my heart came to my mou,

When ne'er a body heard or saw.

Verse 2

My Jockey toils upon the plain,

Thro' wind and weet, thro' frost and snaw;

And o'er the lea I look fu' fain

When Jockey's owsen hameward ca'.

An' aye the night comes round again,

When in his arms he takes me a';

An' aye he vows he'll be my ain

As lang's he has a breath to draw.

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), “Young Jockey”

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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