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Scotlands History\|Scottish Enlightenment
Flowers of the Forest
The Flowers of the Forest
I've seen the smilingOf Fortune beguiling;
I've felt all its favours, and found its decay:
Sweet was its blessing,
Kind its caressing;
But now 'tis fled--fled far away.
I've seen the forest
Adorned the foremost
With flowers of the fairest most pleasant and gay;
Sae bonnie was their blooming!
Their scent the air perfuming!
But now they are withered and weeded away.
I've seen the morning
With gold the hills adorning,
And loud tempest storming before the mid-day.
I've seen Tweed's silver streams,
Shining in the sunny beams,
Grow drumly and dark as he rowed on his way.
Oh, fickle Fortune,
Why this cruel sporting?
Oh, why still perplex us, poor sons of a day?
Nae mair your smiles can cheer me,
Nae mair your frowns can fear me;
For the Flowers of the Forest are a' wede away.
Alison Rutherford, wrote this version of 'The Flowers of the Forest' in 1765. It is set to the music of the traditional Border Ballad of the same name.
This recording is performed by Rob MacKillop.
Download Adobe Flash Player to listen to the audio online.
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