Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Scottish songs > Volume 2

471
I hae sworn by the heavens, my Mary,
I hae sworn by the heavens to be true ;
And sae may the heavens forget me,
When I forget my vow I
O, plight me your faith, my Mary,
And pHght me your lily-white hand ;
O, plight me your faith, my Mary,
Before I leave Scotia's strand.
We hae plighted our troth, my Mary,
In mutual affection to join ;
And curst be the cause that shall part us I
The hour and the moment o' time I *
FAIREST OF THE FAIR.
DR PERCY.
[SCOTTISH VERSION.]
Tune — Nanny^ wilt thou gang xvV me ?
O, Nannie wilt thou gang wi' me.
Nor sigh to leave the flaunting town ?
Can silent glens have charms lor thee,
The lowly cot and russet gown ?
Nae langer drest in silken sheen,
Nae langer deck'd wi' jewels rare.
Say, canst thou quit each courtly scene,
Where thou wert fairest of the fair ?
* When Burns was designing his voyage to the West Indies, he wrote
this song as a farewell to a girl whom he happened io regard, at the time,
with considerable adiniration. He afterwards sent it to Mr Thomson for
publication in his splendid collection of the national music and musical
poetry of Scotland.