Chorus
 Bonnie wee thing, canie wee thing,
  Lovely wee thing, was thou mine;
 I wad wear thee in my bosom,
  Least my Jewel I should tine. -

Wishfully I look and languish
  In that bonie face o' thine;
And my heart it stounds wi' anguish,
  Least my wee thing be na mine. -
Bonnie wee thing, canie wee thing...

Wit, and Grace, and Love, and Beauty,
  In ae constellation shine;
To adore thee is my duty,
  Goddess o' this soul o' mine!

Note: in some editions, "bonnie" is spelled "bonie"

Composition:

Set to music by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "The bonnie wee thing", JHW. XXXII/5 no. 392, Hob. XXXIa no. 102bis

Text Authorship:

• by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), title 1: "Bonnie wee thing", title 2: "Bonie wee thing"

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Malé hezké stvořeníčko"
• FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Jolie petite chose", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 81