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Ae Fond Kiss

Ae Fond Kiss

Ae fond kiss and then we sever!
Ae farewell, alas forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu' twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy:
Naething could resist my Nancy!
But to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love for ever.

Had we never lov'd sae kindly,
Had we never lov'd sae blindly.
Never met -- or never parted --
We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, enjoyment, love and pleasure!

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae farewell, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

Comments:

Robert Burns wrote this song of farewell to his 'Clarinda 'on her departure abroad from Edinburgh. The fourth verse was declared by Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron to contain the essence of a thousand love tales.

Tune: Rory Dall's Port
1791

Scots Glossary:

Ae: One
Sae: So
Weel: Well
Ika: The same, each, every

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URL:  http://www.mcgillsociety.org/bard/lyrics/ae-fond-kiss.html
        Revision:  18 March 2006
Last modified:  18 March 2006