Traditional: Collected Lyrics
68 / 291
Public-domain lyrics

Ca' the Yowes 2

Traditional

“Ca' the Yowes 2” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 68 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

Ca' the yowes to the knowes,

Ca' them where the heather growes;

Ca' them where the burnie rows,

My bonnie dearie.

Hark, the mavis' evening sang,

Sounding Cluden's woods amang;

Then a-faulding let us gang,

My bonnie dearie.

We'll gang doun by Cluden side,

Through the hazels spreading wide

O'er the waves that sweetly glide,

My bonnie dearie.

Yonder Cluden's silent towers,

Where, at moonshine midnight hours.

O'er the dewy budding flowers

The fairies dance sae cheerie.

Ghaist nor bogle shalt thou fear:

Thou'rt to love and heaven sae dear,

Nocht of ill may come thee near,

My bonnie dearie.

Fair and lovely as thou art,

Thou hast stoun my very heart;

I can die—but canna part,

My bonnie dearie.

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, “Ca' the Yowes 2”

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