Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Wilson's edition of the songs of Scotland

62
AULD ROBIN GRAY.
This exquisite ballad was written by Lady Ann Lindsay of Balcarras about the year 1761, and
very soon acquired an extensive popularity. The authorship of it was long disputed, and was not finally
set at rest till the year 1823, when Lady Ann communicated, in a letter to Sir Walter Scott, the
fact of her being the authoress, and an account of the circumstances attending the composition of the
ballad. Robin Gray was the name of the old herd at Balcarras, and the verses were written to an old
Scotch melody of which Lady Ann was passionately fond, and which is called u The bridegroom grat
when the sun gaed doun.” The melody to which the song is now sung was composed in imitation of the
Scotch melodies by the Rev. William Leeves of Wrington, and was annexed to a work containing six
Sacred Airs, composed by him, and published in 1812. Mr Leeves died in the year 1828, at the advanced
age of eighty. The first four lines of the song I have adapted to the old Scotch melody to which Lady
Ann Lindsay wrote the verses, and which makes a kind of recitative introduction to Mr Leeves’ beautiful
and expressive melody.
When the sheep are in the fauld, and the kye1 at hame,
And a’ the weary warld to sleep are gane;
The waes o’ my heart fa’ in showers frae my e’e,
While my gudeman sleeps sound by me.]
Young Jamie lo’ed me weel, and sought me for his bride ;
But saving a croun he had naething else beside :
To mak the croun a pound, young Jamie gaed to sea;
And the croun and the pound were baith for me.
He hadna been gane but a year and a day,
When my father brak’ his arm, and the cow was stown away ;
My mother she fell sick, and Jamie at the sea,
And auld Robin Gray cam a-courtin’ to me.
[My father couldna work, and my mother couldna spin ;
I toil’d baith day and night, but their bread I couldna win;
Auld Rob maintain’d them baith, and, wi’ tears in his e’e,
Said, Jennie, for their sakes, 0 marry me!
My heart it said na, for I look’d for Jamie back;
But the wind it blew high, and the ship it was a wrack :
The ship it was a wrack—why didna Jennie dee 1
0 why was I spared to cry, Wae’s me!]
My father argued sair ; my mother didna speak;
But she lookit in my face till my heart was like to break;
Sae they gied2 him my hand, though my heart was at the sea,
And auld Robin Gray was gudeman to me.
1 hadna been a wife a week but only four,
When, sitting sae mournfully at my ain door,
I saw my Jamie’s wraith3, for I couldna think it he,
Till he said, I’m come hame, love, to marry thee.
Oh, sair did we greet, and mickle did we say;
We took but ae4 kiss, and we tore ourselves away :
I wish that I were dead ! but I’m no like to dee ;
Oh why do I live to say, Wae’s me !s
I gang like a ghaist, and I downa care to spin ;
I daurna think on Jamie, for that wad be a sin;
So I’ll e’en do my best a gude wife to be,
For auld Robin Gray is a kind man to me.
1 Cows. 2 Gave. 3 A spirit, apparition.
5 This line is sometimes given :—
‘‘ My heart it winna break—it’s sae young—Wae’s me !”
1 One.