by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Gin a body meet a body
Language: English
Gin a body meet a body Comin’ thro’ the rye, Gin a body kiss a body, Need a body cry? Ilka lassie has her laddie, Nane they say ha’e I; Yet a’ the lads they smile to me, When comin’ thro’ the rye. Gin a body meet a body Comin’ frae the well, Gin a body kiss a body, Need a body tell? Ilka lassie has her laddie, Ne’er a ane ha’e I; But a’ the lads they smile on me, When comin’ thro’ the rye. Gin a body meet a body Comin’ frae the toun, Gin a body greet a body, Need a body gloom? Ilka lassie has her laddie, Nane they say ha’e I; But a’ the lads they lo’e me weel, And what the waur am I?
Glossary
gin = if, should
ilka = each, every
nane = none
a' = all
frae = from
ane = one
toun = town
waur = worse
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Helen Hopekirk (1856 - 1945), "Gin a body meet a body", subtitle: "Comin' thro' the rye", published 1905, copyright © 1905 [voice and piano], Oliver Ditson Company [ sung text checked 1 time]
Set in a modified version by Cyril Meir Scott.
Researcher for this page: Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-03-07
Line count: 24
Word count: 130