Wilt thou be my Dearie
Tune, Sutor's dochter. ----
Wilt thou be my Dearie;
When sorrow wrings thy gentle heart,
Wilt thou let me chear thee:
By the treasure o' my soul!
That's the love I bear thee;
I swear & vow, that only thou
Shalt ever be my Dearie --
Only thou; I swear & vow,
Shalt ever be my Dearie. ----
Lassie, say thou lo'es me;
Or if thou wilt na be my ain,
Say na thou'lt refuse me:
If it winna, canna be,
Thou for thine may chuse me;
Let me, Lassie, quickly die,
Trusting that thou lo'es me --
Lassie, let me quickly die,
Trusting that thou lo'es me. --
So[page torn]
Tune, Sutor's dochter. ----
Wilt thou be my Dearie;
When sorrow wrings thy gentle heart,
Wilt thou let me chear thee:
By the treasure o' my soul!
That's the love I bear thee;
I swear & vow, that only thou
Shalt ever be my Dearie --
Only thou; I swear & vow,
Shalt ever be my Dearie. ----
Lassie, say thou lo'es me;
Or if thou wilt na be my ain,
Say na thou'lt refuse me:
If it winna, canna be,
Thou for thine may chuse me;
Let me, Lassie, quickly die,
Trusting that thou lo'es me --
Lassie, let me quickly die,
Trusting that thou lo'es me. --
So[page torn]
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/94
- Alt. number
- 3.6252
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/94
- Alt. number
- 3.6252
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
Wilt thou be my Dearie.
One of three poems together. Begins: "Wilt thou be my Dearie". First published in the "Morning Chronicle" in 1794 though probably written earlier. - Tune, Sutor's dochter. 2 nine-line verses.
One of three poems together. Begins "Canst thou leave me thus, my Katy". Written during the night of 19-20 November 1794. It is thought that it was written as a compliment to the wife of George Thomson, although in one version, "Katie" was substituted by "Betty", possibly in honour of Elizabeth Riddell. "Song - An English one, to the tune of Roy's wife" 2 four-line verses, with chorus. One of three poems together. Begins: "Husband, husband, cease your strife". Suggested by MacKay as being "an Anglicisation of the traditional ballad 'My Jo Janet'. sent to Thomson in December 1793". 4 eight-line verses.
This manuscript contains the song Wilt thou be my Dearie. The song was first published in the Morning Chronicle on 10 May 1794 but it was written at an earlier date. Burns had sent an earlier version to his friend Alexander Cunningham in March of that same year.
The Jeanie of the song is unknown, although it has been speculated that it was based on Janet Miller, the daughter of Burns's friend Patrick Miller.
This manuscript contains the song Wilt thou be my Dearie. The song was first published in the Morning Chronicle on 10 May 1794 but it was written at an earlier date. Burns had sent an earlier version to his friend Alexander Cunningham in March of that same year.
The Jeanie of the song is unknown, although it has been speculated that it was based on Janet Miller, the daughter of Burns's friend Patrick Miller.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Wilt thou be my Dearie
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