Six Love Songs (1830-1840)/Banks of Doun
Banks of Doun.
Ye banks and braes of bonny Doun,
How can ye bloom so fresh and fair;
How can ye chant ye little birds,
While I’m so wae and fu’ o’ care?
Ye’ll break my heart ye little birds,
That wanton thro’ the flow’ring thorn,
Ye mind me of departed joys,
Departed never to return.
Oft have I roam’d by bonny Doun.
To see the rose and woodbine twine,
Where ilka bird sung o’er its note,
And cheerfully I join’d wi’ mine.
Wi’ heartsome glee I pu’d a rose,
A rose out o’ yon thorny tree;
But my fause love has stown the rose,
And left the thorn behind to me.
Ye roses blaw your bonny blooms,
And draw the wild birds to thy burn;
For Lumen promis’d me a ring,
And ye maun aid me should I mourn.
Ah! na, na, na, ye needna mourn,
My een are dim and drowsy worn;
Ye bonny birds ye needna sing,
For Luman never can return.
My Luman’s love, in broken sighs,
At dawn of day by Doun ye’se hear,
And mid-day, by the willow green,
For him I’ll shed a silent tear.
Sweet birds, I ken ye’ll pity me,
And join me wi’ a plantive sang,
While echo wakes, and joins the mane
I mak for him I lo’ed sae lang.