Traditional: Collected Lyrics
45 / 291
Public-domain lyrics

Birks of Abergeldy

Traditional

“Birks of Abergeldy” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 45 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

Bonnie lassie, will ye go,

Will ye go, will ye go,

Bonnie lassie, will ye go

To the birks of Abergeldy

Ye sall get a gown of silk,

A gown of silk, a gown of silk,

Ye sail get a gown of silk,

And coat of callimankie.

Na, kind sir, I dar nae gang,

I dar nae gang, I dar nae gang;

Na kind sir, I dar nae gang,

My minny will be angry.

Sair, sair, wad she flyte,

Wad she flyte, wad she flyte;

Sair, sair, wad she flyte;

And sair wad she ban me.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. 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, “Birks of Abergeldy”

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.
Keep tracing

More from Traditional: Collected Lyrics.

01A good old SongPublic-domain lyrics02I canna be fashedPublic-domain lyrics03It's weel it's nae waurPublic-domain lyrics04'Twas na her bonnie blue e'ePublic-domain lyrics