Simmer's a' pleasant time,
Flowers of every colour;
The water rins o'er the heugh,
And I long for my true lover!
Chorus
Ay waukin, Oh
Waukin still and weary:
Sleep I can get nane,
For thinking on my Dearie. --
When I sleep I dream,
When I wauk I'm irie;
Sleep I can get nane
For thinking on my Dearie. --
Ay waukin & c.
Lanily night comes on,
A' the lave are sleepin:
I think on my bonie lad,
And I bleer my een wi' greetin. --
Ay waukin & c.
Green sleeves and tartan ties
Mark my truelove where she lies;
I'll be at her or she rise,
My fiddle and I thegither. --
Be it by the chrystal burn
Be it by the milkwhite thorn,
I shall rouse her in the morn,
My fiddle and I thegither. ----
"An ye had been where I hae been". R B
Key details
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/43
- Alt. number
- 3.6183
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
- Archive number
- NTS/02/25/BRN/02/43
- Alt. number
- 3.6183
- On display
- No
- Creator
- Burns, Robert (Author)
Description
Ay Waukin O begins "Simmer's a pleasant time". 3 Four-line verses and chorus. On the verso of the leaf, in Robert Burns hand are two four-line verses of "Green sleeves and tartan ties"
This song is based on an old one, but was expanded by Burns into this song. A copy of this manuscript was sent by Burns to Miss Craig, probably a relative of Mrs McLehose, known as Clarinda.
In his later years, Robert Burns was heavily involved with collecting Scottish songs for two publications - The Scots Musical Museum by James Johnson and A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice by George Thomson. He added his own touch to many old songs and wrote new lyrics for old tunes. Many of these would not have survived today if Burns had not recorded them during his travels.
Archive information
Themes
Hierarchy
-
Robert Burns, collection of poems and songs
(
a sub-fonds is a subdivision in the archival material)
- Ay Waukin O and Greensleeves