010 As I Was Wand'ring
Tune: Rinn M'eudial Mo Mhealladh
Chorus
Weel, since he has left me, may pleasure gae wi' him;
I may be distress'd but I winna complain:
I'll flatter my fancy I may get anither
My heart it shall never be broken for ane.
1．
As I was wand'ring ae midsummer e'enin
The pipers and youngsters were makin their game,
Amang them I spyed my faithless fause luver,
Which bled a' the wounds o' my dolour again.
2．
I could na get sleepin till dawin, for greetin;
The tears trickl'd down like the hail and the rain:
Had I na got greetin, my heart wad a broken,
For oh, luve forsaken's a tormenting pain!
3．
Although he has left me for greed o' the siller,
I dinna envy him the gains he can win:
I rather wad bear a' the lade o' my sorrow,
Than ever hae acted sae faithless to him.
Notes
Title As I Was Wand'ring: When I Was Wandering
Burns improved on an earlier text and wrote the last stanza. It was first printed on 13th August 1792.
Chorus
Line 1 Weel: well; gae wi' him: go with him
Line 2 distress'd: distressed; winna: will not
Line 3 anither: another
Line 4 ane: one
Stanza 1
Line 1 e'enin: evening
Line 2 makin: making
Line 3 Amang: among; spyed: spied; fause: false
Line 4 dolour: anguish
Stanza 2
Line 1 na: not; sleepin: sleeping; dawin: dawn; greetin: crying or weeping
Line 2 trickl'd: trickled
Line 3 Had I na got greetin, my heart wad a broken: If I had not started weeping, my heart would have broken.
Line 4 luve forsaken: love deserted
Stanza 3
Line 1 o' the siller: of the money
Line 2 dinna: do not
Line 3 wad: would; a': all; lade: load
Line 4 hae: have; sae: so