Dainty Davie

Dainty Davie

now rosy May comes on wi’ flowers
to deck her gay green spreading bowers
now comes in the happy hours
wandering wi’ my Davie

o [lead] me on the warlock knowe
dainty Davie, dainty Davie
there I’ll spend the day wi’ you
my ain dear dainty Davie

the crystal waters round us flow
and merry birds are lovers a’
the scented breezes round us blow
wandering wi’ my Davie

o [lead] me on the warlock knowe
dainty Davie, dainty Davie
there I’ll spend the day wi’ you
my ain dear dainty Davie

– whistles solo

when purple morning starts the hare
to steal upon his earthly fare
then through the dews I will repair
to meet my ain dear Davie

o [lead] me on the warlock knowe
dainty Davie, dainty Davie
there I’ll spend the day wi’ you
my ain dear dainty Davie

– whistles solo

when day expirin’ in the west
the curtain draws o’er nature’s rest
I’ll flee to arms I love the best
that’s my ain dear Davie

o [lead] me on the warlock knowe
dainty Davie, dainty Davie
there I’ll spend the day wi’ you
my ain dear dainty Davie

o [lead] me on the warlock knowe
dainty Davie, dainty Davie
there I’ll spend the day wi’ you
my ain dear dainty Davie

– fiddle and accordion tune

This text was originally published in the 1796 volume of The Scots musical museum (editor James Johnson):

Dainty Davie

Now rosy May comes in wi’ flowers,
  To deck her gay, green speading bowers;
And now comes in my happy hours,
  To wander wi’ my Davie.

Meet me on the warlock knowe,
  Dainty Davie, Dainty Davie;
There I’ll spend the day wi’ you,
  My ain dear dainty Davie.

The crystal waters round us fa’,
  The merry birds are lovers a’,
The scented breezes round us blaw,
  Awandering wi’ my Davie.

Meet me...

As purple morning starts the hare,
  To steal upon her early fare,
Then through the dews I will repair,
  To meet my faithfu’ Davie.

Meet me...

When day, expiring in the west,
  The curtain draws o’ Nature’s rest,
I’ll flee to his arms I lo’e the best,
  And that’s muy ain dear Davie.

Meet me on the warlock knowe,
  Bonie Davie, Dainty Davie;
There I’ll spend the day wi’ you,
  My ain dear dainty Davie.

source : No. 424 in Poems and songs of Robert Burns / edited by James Kinsley. – Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1968