Here's to Thy Health by Robert Burns
The speaker offers a bitterly self-possessed farewell to a “bonie lass,” saying he will no longer visit her bower-door to declare his love. Though she has said she does not wish to marry, he insists that he can live without her and does not care how long she waits or searches for another match. He recognises that her friends look down on his low estate and seek to postpone her marriage in hopes of a better opportunity, but he warns that fortune may disappoint them. The speaker values his health, freedom, and ability to earn small sums through employment above wealth or social standing. He cautions that distant suitors may appear more attractive than they truly are and may prove worse than himself. Despite his claims of indifference and farewell, he declares that he will come to see her at midnight beneath the bright moon, because a man who truly loves his mistress is not wearied by travel.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Folk Song, Love Poetry · 351 words
First lines
Tune-"Laggan Burn."
Here's to thy health, my bonie lass, / Gude nicht and joy be wi' thee; / I'll come nae mair to thy bower-door, / To tell thee that I lo'e thee. / O dinna think, my pretty pink, / But I can live without thee: / I vow and swear I dinna care, / How lang ye look about ye.
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, songlike poem centered on a speaker's personal feelings of love, pride, disappointment, and determination.
- Scottish Folk Song — Written to the tune of 'Laggan Burn' and employing Scots dialect, the poem belongs strongly to the tradition of vernacular Scottish song.
- Love Poetry — Its principal situation concerns courtship, the beloved's reluctance to marry, and the speaker's continued desire to visit her.
- Courtship Poetry — The speaker directly addresses a woman, challenges her refusal of marriage, and frames their relationship through romantic pursuit and social expectations.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · love song · courtship · romantic farewell · unrequited love · defiant lover · social class · low estate · marriage refusal · delayed marriage · family disapproval · economic independence
What this Textopian page supports
Here's to Thy Health is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1792 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1792 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Folk Song, Love Poetry, Courtship Poetry, Pastoral Poetry
- Length: 351 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Here's to Thy Health by Robert Burns
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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