Traditional Scottish Songs
- Of A' The Airts

Robert Burns was not always the most faithful of husbands but there is no doubting his love for his wife, Jean Armour. Here is a song which he wrote during their honeymoon. The tune was written by William Marshall, who was the butler to the Duke of Gordon. "Of a' the airts" means "of all the directions".


Of A' The Airts

Of a' the airts the wind can blaw
I dearly like the west,
For there the bonnie lassie lives,
The lassie I lo'e best.
There wild woods grow, and rivers row,
And monie a hill between,
But day and night my fancy's flight
Is ever wi' my Jean.

I see her in the dewy flowers -
I see her sweet and fair,
I hear her in the tunefu' birds -
I hear her charm the air.
There's not a bonnie flower that springs
By fountain, shaw or green.
There's not a bonnie bird that sings
But minds me o' my Jean.

Meaning of unusual words:
airts=direction
row=move along
monie=many
shaw=stalks

Return to the Index of Traditional Scottish Songs



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