Volume I, song 067, page 68 - 'John Hay's Bonny Lassie' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'By smooth winding Tay a swain was reclining; aft cry'd he, oh hey! maun I still live pining Myself thus away & darna discover To my bonnie Lass, that I am her Lover! Nae mair it will hide, the flame waxes stronger, If she's not my bride, my days are nae langer; Then I'll tak a heart, & try at a venture: May be, e'er we part, my vows may content her.' 'Swain' not only implies shepherd but also admirer. 'Darna' is dare not in Scots dialect while 'maun' is the old Scots word for must with the implication of a command. The 'Scots Musical Museum' is the most important of the numerous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections of Scottish song. When the engraver James Johnson started work on the second volume of his collection in 1787, he enlisted Robert Burns as contributor and editor. Burns enthusiastically collected songs from various sources, often expanding or revising them, whilst including much of his own work. The resulting combination of innovation and antiquarianism gives the work a feel of living tradition. It is believed that the tune for this piece is older than the lyrics but there is a lack of consensus over their authorship. Allan Ramsay (1686-1758) has been suggested but Ramsay is thought to have been capable of better poetry and it was also published and known before his 'Tea-Table Miscellany' (1724-7).

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503262

Title

Volume I, song 067, page 68 - 'John Hay's Bonny Lassie' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 130 x 211 mm