Traditional Scottish Songs
- The Dear Auld Days
We often look back nostalgically to the days of our youth, perhaps with a hint of rose-tinted spectacles. But you can sense the pleasure of such happy memories in this song by Charles Nicol (born in 1858) who, despite the countryside references in this poem, was a native of Glasgow's Pollokshaws area.
The Dear Auld Days
Oh! the dear auld days, the sweet auld days,
The days o' auld langsyne;
Whan we were wee, wi' spirits free,
'Tis sweet tae bring tae min'.
The funny pranks we used tae play,
Whan bairnies fu' o' glee;
An' hoo we then on ilka day,
Wad romp aboot sae free.When schule was dune we aft wad rin,
Doon tae some wimplin' burn;
An' there we'd play the lee lang day,
An' ne'er think tae return.
Fu' aft we'd paidle up an' doon,
The fun tae us was fine,
We'd ne'er a thocht for ocht aroon',
In the sweet days o' langsyne.For aft we'd gang the woods amang,
An' gether sweet blue bells;
An' as we'd stray blackberries tae,
Wi' whilk we filled oorsels.
Aften tae we'd pu' sweet brambles,
'Lang wi' oor playmates then;
An' mony were oor walks an' rambles,
Hoo we wish them back again.But weel we ken oor wish is vain,
Nae mair they'll come again;
Sae while we're here, let's raise a cheer,
An' sing this mirthfu' strain;
The guid auld days, the dear auld days,
'Tis sweet tae bring tae min';
The grand auld days, the dear auld days,
The days o' auld langsyne.Meaning of unusual words:
langsyne = long ago
bairnies = children
ilka = every
dune = done
wimplin' burn = meandering stream
whilk = which
brambles = blackberry
ken = know
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
