SONG.
BONNY WOOD OF CRAIGIE-LEE. ______ 1 CHOR.—Thou bonny wood of Craigie-lee, 2 Thou bonny wood of Craigie-lee, 3 Near thee I past life’s early day, 4 And won my Mary’s heart in thee. 5 The broom, the brier, the birken bush, 6 Bloom bonny o’er thy flow’ry lea, 7 An’ a’ the sweets that ane can wish, 8 Frae nature’s han’ are strew’d on thee. Thou bonny wood, &c. 9 Far ben thy dark green plantin’s shade, 10 The cushat croodles am’rously, 11 The mavis down thy bughted glade, 12 Gars echo ring frae ev’ry tree. Thou bonny wood, &c. 13 Awa’ ye thoughtless murd’ring gang, 14 Wha tear the nestlings ere they flee! 15 They’ll sing you yet a canty sang, 16 Then, O in pity let them be! Thou bonny wood, &c. 17 When winter blaws in sleety show’rs, 18 Frae aff the norlin hills sae hi’, 19 He lightly skiffs thy bonny bow’rs, 20 As laith to harm a flow’r in thee. Thou bonny wood, &c. 21 Though fate should drag me south the line, 22 Or o’er the wide Atlantic sea, 23 The happy hours I’ll ever min’ 24 That I in youth hae spent in thee. Thou bonny wood, &c. |
Subtitle. Craigie-lee: Tannahill invented this name for a particularly rocky area of the Ferguslie estate slightly northwest of Paisley, one of his favorite walks. Set to music by James Barr, Kilbarchan, an intimate acquintance to Tannahill and a fellow weaver (Semple 260). 3. past: passed. 5. broom: the plant broom. 5. birken: made of or consisting of birch. 8. frae: Sc. form and usage of Eng. from. 9. far ben: in favor, on intimate terms. 9. plantin's: that which has been planted. 10. cushat: The ring-dove or wood-pigeon, Columba palumbus. 10. croodle: To coo (of a dove). 11. mavis: the song-thrush. 11. bughted: full of boughs; leafy. 12. gars: to make, to cause, to force, to compel. 15. canty: lively; cheerful; pleasant. 17. blow: Sc. form of Eng. blow. 18. aff: off; away; at a distance. 18. norlin: northern. 19. skiff: to move in a light airy manner, barely touching the ground; to skim, glide, skip. 20. laith: loathe, unwilling, reluctant. |