Lady Mary Ann


O lady Mary Ann looks o'er the Castle wa' , She saw three bonie boys playing at the ba' , The youngest he was the flower amang them a' , My bonie laddie's young, but he's growin' yet. O father, O father, an ye think it fit , We'll send him a year to the college yet, We'll sew a green ribbon round about his hat, And that will let them ken he's to marry yet. Lady Mary Ann was a flower in the dew, Sweet was its smell and bonie was its hue, And the longer it blossom'd the sweeter it grew, For the lily in the bud will be bonier yet. Young Charlie Cochran was the sprout of an aik , Bonie and bloomin' and straught was its make, The sun took delight to shine for its sake, And it will be the brag o' the forest yet. The simmer is gane when the leaves they were green, And the days are awa' that we hae seen, But far better days I trust will come again; For my bonie laddie's young, but he's growin' yet.

Listen

Gerda Stevenson
Juliet Cadzow

About this work

This is a song by Robert Burns. It was written in 1792 and is read here by Gerda Stevenson.

Themes for this song

youth

Selected for 06 November

On this day in 1887, Celtic Football Club was founded to offer recreational opportunities and practical support to the local Irish immigrant population. Eighty years later, in 1967, Celtic became the first British club to win the European Cup. Although some fans of the team in white with green hoops find it hard to believe, there was football even before, 'The Bhoys'! The youth in this (beautiful) poem is, 'playin' at the ba'...' And there IS a reference to green!

Donny O'Rourke

Skip to top

BBC © 2014The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.