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Annie Laurie

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Annie Laurie

Maxwellton braes are bonnie,
Where early fa's the dew,
And 'twas there that Annie Laurie
Gave me her promise true.
Gave me her promise true,
Which ne'er forgot will be,
And for bonnie Annie Laurie,
I lay me doun and dee.

Her brow is like the snowdrift,
Her throat is like a swan,
Her face it is the fairest
That e'er the sun shone on.
That e'er the sun shone on,
And dark blue is her e'e,
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I lay me doun and dee.

Like dew on th' gowan lying,
Is the fa' o' her fairy feet,
And like winds in summer sighing
Her voice is low and sweet.
Her voice is low and sweet,
And she's a' the world to me,
And for bonnie Annie Laurie,
I lay me doun and dee.

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Comments:

Annie Laurie
Written by Lady John Scott (1810-1900) who altered the second verse and composed the third. A favourite with Scotsmen during the Crimean War.

Scots Glossary:
Brae: A steep bank, the slope of a hill, the broken bank of a river
Bonnie: beautiful, handsome, pretty, plump, pleasent to see
Doun: Down
Dee: Die
E'e: Eye
Gowan: A generic name for the daisy

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URL:  http://www.mcgillsociety.org/bard/lyrics/annie-laurie.html
        Revision:  8 May 2005
Last modified:  18 March 2006