unknown author: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Haud awa' 1

unknown author

“Haud awa' 1” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

unknown author: Collected Lyrics Text 6 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, come awa', come awa',

Come awa' wi' me, Jenny!

Sic frowns I canna bear frae ane,

Whase smiles ance ravish'd me, Jenny.

If you'll be kind, you'll never find

That ought shall alter me, Jenny;

For ye're the mistress of my mind,

Whate'er ye think of me, Jenny!

First when your sweets enslaved my heart,

Ye seem'd to favour me, Jenny;

But now, alas! you act a part

That speaks inconstancie, Jenny.

Inconstancie is sic a vice,

It's not befitting thee, Jenny;

It suits not with your virtue nice,

To carry sae to me, Jenny.

Verse 2

O, haud awa', bide awa',

Haud awa' frae me, Donald!

Your heart is made ower large for ane—

It is not meet for me, Donald.

Some fickle mistress you may find

Will jilt as fast as thee, Donald;

To ilka swain she will prove kind,

And nae less kind to thee, Donald:

But I've a heart that's naething such;

'Tis fill'd wi' honestie, Donald,

I'll ne'er love mony; I'll love much;

I hate all levitie, Donald.

Therefore nae mair, wi' art, pretend

Your heart is chain'd to mine, Donald;

For words of falsehood ill defend

A roving love like thine, Donald.

First when ye courted, I must own,

I frankly favour'd you, Donald;

Apparent worth and fair renown

Made me believe you true, Donald:

Ilk virtue then seem'd to adorn

The man esteem'd by me, Donald;

But now the mask's faun aff, I scorn

To ware a thocht on thee, Donald.

And now for ever haud awa',

Haud awa' frae me, Donald!

Sae, seek a heart that's like your ain,

And come nae mair to me, Donald:

For I'll reserve mysel' for ane,

For ane that's liker me, Donald.

If sic a ane I canna find,

I'll ne'er lo'e man, nor thee, Donald.

Verse 3

Then I'm the man, and fause report

Has only tauld a lie, Jenny;

To try thy truth, and make us sport,

The tale was raised by me, Jenny.

Verse 4

When this ye prove, and still can love,

Then come awa' to me, Donald!

I'm weel content ne'er to repent

That I ha'e smiled on thee, Donald!

Credits

Written by unknown author

Words by unknown author. 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, “Haud awa' 1”

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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