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by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)

The Banks o' Doon
 (Sung text for setting by D. Arditti)
 Matches original text
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Ye flowery banks o' bonnie Doon, 
  How can ye bloom sae fair? 
How can ye chant, ye little birds, 
  And I sae fu' o care! 

Thou'll break my heart, thou bonnie bird, 
  That sings upon the bough; 
Thou minds me o' the happy days 
  When mv fause love was true. 

Thou'll break my heart, thou bonnie bird, 
  That sings beside thy mate; 
For sae I sat, and sae I sang, 
  And wist na o' my fate. 

Aft hae I rov'd by bonnie Doon 
  To see the woodbine twine, 
And ilka bird sang o' its love; 
  And sae did I o' mine. 

Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose, 
  Frae aff its thorny tree; 
And my fause luver staw the rose, 
  But left the thorn wi' me.

Composition:

    Set to music by David Arditti (b. 1964), "The Banks o' Doon", op. 1 no. 3, first performed 1994, from Burns Songs, no. 3

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The Banks of Doon", subtitle: "[First version]"

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 126

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