CA' THE YOWES TO THE KNOWES

CA' THE YOWES TO THE KNOWES
Robert Burns

Chorus:
Ca’ the yowes to the knows,
Ca’ them whare the heather grows,
Ca’ them whare the burnie rowes,
My bonnie dearie.

Hark, the mavis’ evening sang
Sounding Clouden’s woods amang!
Then a faulding let us gang,
My bonnie dearie.

We’ll gae down by Clouden side,
Thro’ the hazels spreading wide,
O’er the waves, that sweetly glide
To the moon sae clearly.

Yonder Clouden’s silent towers,
Where at moonshine midnight hours,
O’er the dewy bending flowers,
Fairies dance sae chearie.

Ghaist nor bogle shalt thou fear;
Thou’rt to love and heaven sae dear,
Nocht of ill may come thee near,
My bonnie dearie.

Fair and lovely as thou art,
Thou hast stown my very heart;
I can die – but canna part,
My bonnie dearie.

Footnote: Last week we gave you the traditional version, as amended by Robert Burns, which our National Bard gave to James Johnson, This is the remodelled version which he produced in 1794 for George Thomson. ‘Clouden’s silent towers’ was a favourite haunt of the poet and the Clouden is a tributary of the Nith.