Ca' the Yowes to the Knowes by Robert Burns
The song presents a shepherd lad courting a young woman beside the water. He embraces her in his plaid and calls her his dearie, then invites her to walk with him where waves move beneath spreading hazels in clear moonlight. He promises her suitable gowns, ribbons, shoes, and the comfort of resting in his arms if she will be his dearie. She agrees on the condition that he remains true to his word, promising to go with him, let him wrap her in his plaid, and become his dearie. Their affection is pledged to endure as long as water flows to the sea, daylight shines in the sky, and until death closes the speaker’s eyes.
By Robert Burns · First published 1794 · Genre: Pastoral poetry, Love lyric, Scottish folk song · 296 words
First lines
Chorus. -Ca' the yowes to the knowes, / Ca' them where the heather grows, / Ca' them where the burnie rowes, / My bonie dearie
As I gaed down the water-side, / There I met my shepherd lad: / He row'd me sweetly in his plaid, / And he ca'd me his dearie. / Ca' the yowes, &c.
Will ye gang down the water-side, / And see the waves sae sweetly glide / Beneath the hazels spreading wide, / The moon it shines fu' clearly. / Ca' the yowes, &c.
Ye sall get gowns and ribbons meet, / Cauf-leather shoon upon your feet, / And in my arms ye'se lie and sleep, / An' ye sall be my dearie. / Ca' the yowes, &c.
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Ca' the Yowes to the Knowes is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1794 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1794 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Pastoral poetry, Love lyric, Scottish folk song, Ballad, Romantic poetry
- Length: 296 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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- Work identity for Ca' the Yowes to the Knowes by Robert Burns
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Genres
- Pastoral poetry — The song centers on shepherds, sheep, heather-covered hills, flowing water, and an idealized rural courtship.
- Love lyric — Its principal subject is the mutual affection and promised fidelity between the speaker and her shepherd lover.
- Scottish folk song — Written in Scots dialect with a recurring chorus and simple, musical stanzas, it follows the conventions of traditional Scottish song.
- Ballad — The work uses ballad-like quatrains, refrain, vernacular language, and a brief dramatic exchange between lovers, although it is less narrative than a typical ballad.
Tags
Scottish pastoral song · love ballad · shepherd courtship · romantic devotion · rural Scotland · countryside · sheep herding · heather · streamside setting · moonlit landscape · hazel trees · young lovers