Robert Tannahill: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Gloomy Winter

Robert Tannahill

“Gloomy Winter” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Robert Tannahill: Collected Lyrics Text 4 1843 · historical text
Public domainScottish songFolk
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Book of Scottish Song, edited by Alexander Whitelaw, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Gloomy winter's now awa',

Saft the westlin' breezes blaw:

'Mang the birks o' Stanley-shaw

The mavis sings fu' cheerie, O.

Sweet the craw-flower's early bell

Decks Gleniffer's dewy dell,

Blooming like thy bonnie sel',

My young, my artless dearie, O.

Come, my lassie, let us stray

O'er Glenkilloch's sunny brae,

Blythly spend the gowden day

'Midst joys that never wearie, O.

Towering o'er the Newton woods,

Laverocks fan the snaw-white clouds;

Siller saughs, wi' downie buds,

Adorn the banks sae brierie, O.

Hound the sylvan fairy nooks,

Feath'ry braikens fringe the rocks,

'Neath the brae the burnie jouks,

And ilka thing is cheerie, O.

Trees may bud, and birds may sing,

Flowers may bloom, and verdure spring,

Joy to me they canna bring,

Unless wi' thee, my dearie, O.

Credits

Written by Robert Tannahill

Words by Robert Tannahill. Historical text published in The Book of Scottish Song (1843); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Book of Scottish Song (1843), edited by Alexander Whitelaw, “Gloomy Winter”

Every contribution in this 1843 anthology predates modern copyright terms by more than a century; any contributor died at least 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide (life+70 terms expired no later than 2020).

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 2026-10-12. 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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