Walter Scott: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Donald Caird

Walter Scott

“Donald Caird” as printed in The Book of Scottish Song (1843).

Walter Scott: Collected Lyrics Text 2 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

Donald Caird's come again!

Donald Caird's come again!

Tell the news in brugh and glen,

Donald Caird's come again!

Donald Caird can lilt and sing,

Blithely dance the Highland fling;

Drink till the gudeman be blind,

Fleech till the gudewife be kind;

Hoop a leglan, clout a pan,

Or crack a pow wi' ony man:

Tell the news in brugh and glen,

Donald Caird's come again.

Donald Caird can wire a maukin,

Kens the wiles o' dun-deer staukin;

Leisters kipper, makes a shift

To shoot a muir-fowl i' the drift:

Water-bailiffs, rangers, keepers,

He can wauk when they are sleepers;

Not for bountith, or reward,

Daur they mell wi' Donald Caird.

Donald Caird can drink a gill,

Fast as hostler-wife can fill;

Ilka ane thrt sells gude liquor,

Kens how Donald bends a bicker:

When he's fou he's stout and saucy,

Keeps the cantle o' the causey;

Highland chief and Lawland laird

Maun gi'e way to Donald Caird.

Steek the awmrie, lock the kist,

Else some gear will sune be mist;

Donald Caird finds orra things

Where Allan Gregor fand the tings:

Dunts o' kebbuck, taits o' woo,

Whiles a hen and whiles a soo,

Webs or duds frae hedge or yard—

Ware the wuddie, Donald Caird!

On Donald Caird the doom was stern,

Craig to tether, legs to airn:

But Donald Caird, wi' muckle study,

Caught the gift to cheat the wuddie.

Rings o' airn, and bolts o' steel,

Fell like ice frae hand and heel!

Watch the sheep in fauld and glen,

Donald Caird's come again.

Credits

Written by Walter Scott

Words by Walter Scott. 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, “Donald Caird”

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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