Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume II. Love. 1904. | | | | III. Love’s Beginnings | | “O whistle, and I’ll come to you, my lad” | | Robert Burns (1759–1796) |
| | | O WHISTLE, and I ’ll come to you, my lad, | |
| O whistle, and I ’ll come to you, my lad, | |
| Tho’ father and mither and a’ should gae mad, | |
| O whistle, and I ’ll come to you, my lad. | |
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| But warily tent, when ye come to court me, | 5 |
| And come na 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, etc. | |
| O whistle, etc. | 10 |
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| At kirk, or at market, whene’er ye meet me, | |
| Gang by me as tho’ that ye cared nae a flie; | |
| But steal me a blink o’ your bonnie black ee, | |
| Yet look as ye were na lookin’ at me. | |
| Yet look, etc. | 15 |
| O whistle, etc. | |
| |
| Aye vow and protest that ye care na for me, | |
| And whiles ye may lightly my beauty a wee; | |
| But court nae anither, tho’ jokin’ ye be, | |
| For fear that she wile your fancy frae me. | 20 |
| For fear, etc. | |
| O whistle, and I ’ll come to you, my lad. | | | | |
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