It was a' for our Rightful King

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



1     It was a' for our rightful king
2         That we left fair Scotland's strand;
3     It was a' for our rightful king
4         We e'er saw Irish land,
5             My dear,
6         We e'er saw Irish land.

7     Now a' is done that men can do,
8         And a' is done in vain!
9     My love, and native land, fareweel!
10       For I maun cross the main,
11           My dear,
12       For I maun cross the main.

13   He turn'd him right and round about,
14       Upon the Irish shore,
15   He gave his bridle-reins a shake,
16       With, Adieu for evermore,
17           My dear!
18       And adieu for evermore!

19   The soldier frae the war returns,
20       And the merchant frae the main.
21   But I hae parted frae my love,
22       Never to meet again,
23           My dear,
24       Never to meet again.

25   When day is gone and night is come,
26       And a' folk bound to sleep,
27   I think on him that's far awa
28       The lee-lang night, and weep,
29           My dear,
30       The lee-lang night, and weep.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 25, 2023

57 sec read
274

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCB XDXDCD XEXECE XDXFCF XGXGCG
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,014
Words 187
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

All Robert Burns poems | Robert Burns Books

11 fans

Discuss the poem It was a' for our Rightful King with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "It was a' for our Rightful King" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/30511/it-was-a'-for-our-rightful-king>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    14
    days
    17
    hours
    33
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Which of these famous poems is written in villanelle form?
    A Funeral Blues
    B Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
    C The Owl And The Pussycat
    D Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night