Robert Burns (1759–1796). Poems and Songs.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

32 . Song—Green Grow the Rashes

Chor.—Green grow the rashes, O;

Green grow the rashes, O;

The sweetest hours that e’er I spend,

Are spent amang the lasses, O.

THERE’S nought but care on ev’ry han’,

In ev’ry hour that passes, O:

What signifies the life o’ man,

An’ ’twere na for the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.

The war’ly race may riches chase,

An’ riches still may fly them, O;

An’ tho’ at last they catch them fast,

Their hearts can ne’er enjoy them, O.

Green grow, &c.

But gie me a cannie hour at e’en,

My arms about my dearie, O;

An’ war’ly cares, an’ war’ly men,

May a’ gae tapsalteerie, O!

Green grow, &c.

For you sae douce, ye sneer at this;

Ye’re nought but senseless asses, O:

The wisest man the warl’ e’er saw,

He dearly lov’d the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.

Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears

Her noblest work she classes, O:

Her prentice han’ she try’d on man,

An’ then she made the lasses, O.

Green grow, &c.