The Book of Scottish Song/Bonnie Dundee

Bonnie Dundee.

[The tune called "Bonnie Dundee" is of undoubted antiquity, as it is to be found in the Skene MS. collection of music in the library of the Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh, a collection made in the reign of James VI., most of it between the years 1615 and 1620, and some of it earlier. It is there entitled "Adew, Dundee," and the ancient version of the tune is pronounced by Mr. Dauney (the editor of the Skene MS.) to be superior to the modern. The old words are lost. The following was the opening of an old song to the tune, but not, it is supposed, the original song, which must have been one of pathos and sentiment:

O, where did ye get that hauver-meal bannock?—
O, silly blind body, O, dinna ye see?
I gat it frae a brisk young sodger laddie,
Between Saint Johnston and bonnie Dundee.

To these four lines Burns added twelve, for Johnson's Museum. In the following version of the song, Burns's twelve lines are retained, viz. the second four and the last eight. We cannot say who wrote the intermediate eight lines. The tune of "Bonnie Dundee" was adopted by Gay for one of his songs in "The Beggar's Opera," beginning "The charge is prepar'd, the lawyers are met." It is also familiar to modern ears as being the air of Macneill's popular song, "Saw ye my wee thing?"]

O whare gat ye that bonnie blue bonnet?
O what makes them aye put the question to me?
I gat it frae a bonnie Scots callan,
Atween St. Johnstoun and bonnie Dundee.
O gin I saw the laddie that ga'e me't!
Aft has he doudl'd me upon his knee;
May heaven protect my bonnie Scots laddie
And send him safe hame to his baby and me.

My heart has nae room when I think on my laddie,
His dear rosy haffets bring tears to my e'e—
But, O! he's awa', and I dinna ken whar he's—
Gin we could ance meet we'll ne'er part till we die,
O light be the breezes around him saft blawin';
And o'er him sweet simmer still blink bonnilie,
And the rich dews o' plenty, around him wide fa'in,
Prevent a' his fears for my baby and me!

My blessings upon that sweet wee lippie!
My blessings upon that bonnie ee-brie
Thy smiles are sae like my blythe sodger laddie,
Thou's aye the dearer and dearer to me.
But I'll big a bower on yen green bank sae bonnie,
That's lav'd by the waters o' Tay wimplin' clear,
And deed thee in tartans, my wee smiling Johnnie,
And make thee a man like thy daddie dear.

---