O Whistle an' I'll Come To Ye, My Lad

by


O Whistle an' I'll Come to Ye, My Lad (1793) is Burns' poem and song used as the title of M.R. James's ghost story, Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad


O Whistle an' I'll Come To Ye, My Lad
John St. Helier Lander, Boy with a Tin Whistle, 1903
O Whistle, an' I'll come to ye, my lad, 
O whistle, an' I'll come to ye, my lad, 
Tho' father an' mother an' a' should gae mad, 
O whistle, an' I'll come to ye, my lad. 

But warily tent when ye come to court me, 
And come nae unless the back-yett be a-jee; 
Syne up the back-stile, and let naebody see, 
And come as ye were na comin' to me, 
And come as ye were na comin' to me. 
O whistle an' I'll come, &c. 

At kirk, or at market, whene'er ye meet me, 
Gang by me as tho' that ye car'd na a flie; 
But steal me a blink o' your bonie black e'e, 
Yet look as ye were na lookin' to me, 
Yet look as ye were na lookin' to me. 
O whistle an' I'll come, &c. 

Aye vow and protest that ye care na for me, 
And whiles ye may lightly my beauty a-wee; 
But court na anither, tho' jokin' ye be, 
For fear that she wile your fancy frae me, 
For fear that she wile your fancy frae me. 
O whistle an' I'll come, &c.

You may enjoy reading a very different piece of literature inspired by its title: M.R. James's ghost story, Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad


4.3

facebook share button twitter share button reddit share button share on pinterest pinterest


Add O Whistle an' I'll Come To Ye, My Lad to your library.

Return to the Robert Burns library

© 2022 AmericanLiterature.com