My Spouse Nancy
Scottish Song By Robert Burns
My Spouse Nancy is a Scottish song written by Robert Burns in 1793 for Thomson's collection and sung to the tune My Jo Janet.Related Scottish Country Dances
My Spouse NancyMy Spouse Nancy By Robert Burns
Husband, husband, cease your strife,
Nor longer idly rave, sir;
Though I am your wedded wife,
Yet I'm not your slave, sir.
One of two must still obey,
Nancy, Nancy;
Is it man or woman, say,
My spouse Nancy?
Nor longer idly rave, sir;
Though I am your wedded wife,
Yet I'm not your slave, sir.
One of two must still obey,
Nancy, Nancy;
Is it man or woman, say,
My spouse Nancy?
If 'tis still the lordly word,
Service and obedience;
I'll desert my sovereign lord,
And so good-bye allegiance!
Sad will I be so bereft,
Nancy, Nancy;
Yet I'll try to make a shift,
My spouse Nancy.
My poor heart then break it must,
My last hour I'm near it;
When you lay me in the dust,
Think - think how you will bear it.
I will hope and trust in Heaven,
Nancy, Nancy,
Strength to bear it will be given,
My spouse Nancy.
Well, sir, from the silent dead,
Still I'll try to daunt you,
Ever round your midnight bed
Horrid spirites shall haunt you.
I'll wed another like my dear
Nancy, Nancy;
Then all hell will fly for fear,
My spouse Nancy!
My Spouse Nancy Song Video
My Spouse Nancy Song - Information Video
My Spouse Nancy Song - From The Illustrated Book Of Scottish Songs From The Sixteenth To The Nineteenth Century, c. 1854
The Online Scots Dictionary Translate Scots To English.
Published in https://www.robertburns.org/works/my-spouse-nancy/
Published in http://www.robertburnsfederation.com/poems/translations/husband_husband_cease_your_strife.htm (with translation).
Dance information licensed under this Creative Commons Licence 3.0.
Text from this original My Spouse Nancy article on Wikisource.
Image copyright (cropped) https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/90351391 under this Creative Commons Licence 4.0.