Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

In Summer

Traditional

“In Summer” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 189 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

In summer, when the hay was mawn,

And corn wav'd green in ilka field,

While clover blooms white o'er the lea,

And roses blaw in ilka bield;

Blythe Bessie in the milking shiel',

Says, I'll be wed, come o't what will,

Out spak' a dame in wrinkl'd eil',

O' gude advisement comes nae ill.

'Tis ye ha'e wooers mony a ane,

And, lassie, ye're but young ye ken,

Then wait a wee, and canny wale

A routhie but, a routhie ben:

There's Johnnie o' the Husky Glen,

Fu' is his barn, fu' is his byre;

Tak' this frae me, my bonnie hen,

'Tis plenty beets the lover's fire.

For Johnnie o' the Buskie Glen

I dinna care a single flee;

He lo'es see weel his craps an' kye,

He has nae love to spare for me:

But blythe's the blink o' Robie's e'e,

And weel I wat he lo'es me dear;

Ae blink o' him I wadna gi'e

For Buskie Glen and a' his gear.

O thoughtless lassie, life's a faught,

The canniest gate the strife is sair;

But aye fu' han't is fechting best,

A hungry care's an unco care:

But some will spend and some will spare,

And wilfu' folk maun ha'e their will;

Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair,

Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill.

O gear will buy me rigs o' land,

And gear will buy me sheep and kye,

But the tender heart o' leesome love,

The gowd and siller canna buy.

We may be poor, Robie and I;

Light is the burden love lays on:

Content and love brings peace and joy;

What mair ha'e queens upon a throne?

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, “In Summer”

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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