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The bonie lad that's far awa

Key details

Archive number
NTS/02/25/BRN/02/120
Alt. number
3.6284
On display
No
Creator
Burns, Robert (Author)

Description

The bonie lad that's far awa. Begins: "O how can I be blythe and glad". A poem modelled on the 17th century ballad "The Unconstant Shepherd or the Forsaken Lass's Lamentation". 5 Four-line verses.

Burns based this song on the seventeenth century ballad The Unconstant Shepherd; or, the Forsaken Lass's Lamentation. It is set to the tune of Donald Blue. The song appeared in both Johnson's Scots Musical Museum in 1792 as well as Thomson's A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice.


Archive information


Hierarchy

  1. Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs ( )
  2. The bonie lad that's far awa

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