Scottish Country Dancing Dictionary

The Banks O'Doon

Scottish Poem By Robert Burns

The Banks O' Doon (also known as Ye Banks And Braes, after the opening line of the third version) is a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1791.

Related Scottish Country Dances

The Banks O'Doon

Banks O'Doon By Robert Burns, First, Second And Third Versions

First VersionSecond VersionThird Version
Sweet are the banks - the banks o' Doon,Ye flowery banks o' bonnie Doon,Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon,
The spreading flowers are fair,How can ye bloom sae fair;How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair;
And everything is blythe and glad,How can ye chant, ye little birds,How can ye chant, ye little birds,
But I am fu' o' care.And I sae fu' o' care!And I sae weary, fu' o' care!

Thou'll break my heart, thou bonie bird,Thou'll break my heart, thou bonie bird,Thou'lt break my heart, thou warbling bird,
That sings upon the bough;That sings upon the bough!That wantons thro' the flowering thorn:
Thou minds me o' the happy daysThou minds me o' the happy daysThou minds me o' departed joys,
When my fause Luve was true:When my fause Luve was true.Departed - never to return!

Thou'll break my heart, thou bonie bird,Thou'll break my heart, thou bonie bird,Thou'll break my heart, thou warbling bird,
That sings beside thy mate;That sings beside thy mate;That wantons thro' the flowering thorn:
For sae I sat, and sae I sang,For sae I sat, and sae I sang,Thou minds me o' departed joys,
And wist na o' my fate.And wist na o' my fate.Departed never to return.

Aft hae I rov'd by bonie Doon,Aft hae I rov'd by bonie Doon,Aft hae I rov'd by Bonie Doon,
To see the woodbine twine;To see the woodbine twine;To see the rose and woodbine twine:
And ilka birds sang o' its Luve,And ilka bird sang o' its Luve,And ilka bird sang o' its Luve,
And sae did I o' mine:And sae did I o' mine.And fondly sae did I o' mine;.

Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,
Upon its thorny tree;Upon its thorny tree;Fu' sweet upon its thorny tree!
But my fause Luver staw my roseBut my fause Luver staw my rose,And may fause Luver staw my rose,
And left the thorn wi' me:And left the thorn wi' me.But ah! She left the thorn wi' me.

Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,Wi' lightsome heart I pu'd a rose,
Upon a morn in June;Upon a morn in June;
And sae I flourished on the morn,And sae I flourished on the morn,
And sae was pu'd or noon!And sae was pu'd or noon.

The Banks O'Doon Song Video

The Banks O'Doon Song - Information Video
Fast water between the Banks O'Doon
The Banks O'Doon


The Online Scots Dictionary Translate Scots To English.
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original Banks O'Doon article on Wikipedia.
Image copyright Mary and Angus Hogg under this Creative Commons Licence 2.0.
Additional search terms: Of Doon.

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