Back to Index

Song—Duncan Davison

by Robert Burns, 1788

There was a lass, they ca'd her Meg,
  And she held o'er the moors to spin;
There was a lad that follow'd her,
  They ca'd him Duncan Davison.
The moor was dreigh, and Meg was skeigh,
  Her favour Duncan could na win;
For wi' the rock she wad him knock,
  And aye she shook the temper-pin.

As o'er the moor they lightly foor,
  A burn was clear, a glen was green,
Upon the banks they eas'd their shanks,
  And aye she set the wheel between:
But Duncan swoor a haly aith,
  That Meg should be a bride the morn;
Then Meg took up her spinning-graith,
  And flang them a' out o'er the burn.

We will big a wee, wee house,
  And we will live like king and queen;
Sae blythe and merry's we will be,
  When ye set by the wheel at e'en.
A man may drink, and no be drunk;
  A man may fight, and no be slain;
A man may kiss a bonie lass,
  And aye be welcome back again!

Published in Poems and Songs of Robert Burns
Tags:

Any corrections or public domain poems I should have here? Email me at poems (at) this domain.