Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

I'll no wake

Traditional

“I'll no wake” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 175 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

O, mother, tell the laird o't,

Or sairly it will grieve me, O,

That I'm to wake the ewes the night,

And Annie's to gang wi' me, O.

I'll wake the ewes my nicht about,

But ne'er wi' ane sae saucy, O,

Nor sit my lane the lee-lang night

Wi' sic a scornfu' lassie, O:

I'll no wake, I'll no wake,

I'll no wake wi' Annie, O;

Nor sit my lane o'er night wi' ane

Sae thraward an' uncanny, O!

Dear son, be wise an' warie,

But never be unmanly, O;

I've heard ye tell another tale

Of young an' charming Annie, O.

The ewes ye wake are fair enough,

Upon the brae sae bonny, O;

But the laird himsel' wad gi'e them a'

To wake the night wi' Annie, O.

He'll no wake, he'll no wake,

He'll no wake wi' Annie, O;

Nor sit his lane o'er night wi' ane

Sae thraward an' uncanny, O!

I tauld ye ear', I tauld ye late,

That lassie wad trapan ye, O;

An' ilka word ye boud to say

When left alane wi' Annie, O!

Take my advice this night for ance,

Or beauty's tongue will ban ye, O,

An' sey your leal auld mother's skill

Ayont the muir wi' Annie, O.

He'll no wake, he'll no wake,

He'll no wake wi' Annie, O.

Nor sit his lane o'er night wl' ane

Sae thraward an' uncanny, O!

The night it was a simmer night,

An' oh! the glen was lanely, O,

For just ae sternie's gowden e'e

Peep'd o'er the hill serenely, O.

The twa are in the flow'ry heath,

Ayont the muir sae flowy, O,

An' but ae plaid between them baith,

An' wasna that right dowie, O?

He maun wake, he maun wake,

He maun wake wi' Annie, O;

An' sit his lane o'er night wi' ane

Sae thraward an' uncanny, O!

Neist morning at his mother's knee

He blest her love unfeign'dly, O;

An' aye the tear fell frae his e'e,

An' aye he clasp'd her kindly, O.

"Of a' my griefs I've got amends,

In yon wild glen sae grassy, O;

A woman only woman kens,—

Your skill has won my lassie, O.

I'll aye wake, I'll aye wake,

I'll aye wake wi' Annie, O,

An' sit my lane ilk night wi' ane

Sae sweet, sae kind, an' canny, O!"

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, “I'll no wake”

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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