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Winter o Life

[ Roud V21570 ; Robert Burns]

Deaf Shepherd sang Winter o Life in 1997 on their Greentrax album Synergy. They noted:

John [Morran] learned this song from the singing of Jean Redpath. The song was originally published in the Scots Musical Museum no. 486 in 1796 and nowadays it can be found in several books dedicated to Burns’ work. There is some uncertainty as to whether the tune Burns put the words to was an East Indian air as he thought.

Lyrics

Deag Shepherd sings Winter o Life

Bit lately seen in gledsome green, the wids rejoieced the day.
Thru gentle shooers, the laughin’ flooers, in dooble pride wur gay.
Bit noo oor joies are fled, oan winter’s blasts awa,
Yet maiden May, in rich array, again shallbring them a’.

Bit ma white pow, nae kindly thowe, shall melt the snaws o age.
Ma trunk o eild, bit buss or bield, sinks in times wintry rage.
O age has weary days and nichts o sleepless pain,
Thou gowden time o youthfu’ prime why comes thou not again.