Robin Shure in Hairst by Robert Burns
An El'er's dochter gaed tae Dunse tae warp a wab o' plaiden an met Robin at his daddie's yett. She tells how he play'd her a trick an promis'd her a' her winter vittle, though he had naething but three guse-feathers an a whittle.
By Robert Burns · First published 1787 · Genre: Scottish Folk Song, Lyric Poetry, Comic Song · 162 words
First lines
Chorus. -Robin shure in hairst, / I shure wi' him. / Fient a heuk had I, / Yet I stack by him.
I gaed up to Dunse, / To warp a wab o' plaiden, / At his daddie's yett, / Wha met me but Robin: / Robin shure, &c.
Was na Robin bauld, / Tho' I was a cotter, / Play'd me sic a trick, / An' me the El'er's dochter! / Robin shure, &c.
Robin promis'd me / A' my winter vittle; / Fient haet he had but three / Guse-feathers and a whittle! / Robin shure, &c.
Genres
- Scottish Folk Song — The work is a Scots-language song with a recurring chorus, rural setting, and vernacular storytelling characteristic of traditional Scottish folk verse.
- Lyric Poetry — Its brief stanzas, refrain, rhythmic phrasing, and emphasis on a speaker's personal encounter make it a lyric poem intended for singing or recitation.
- Comic Song — The poem relies on humorous exaggeration and an anticlimactic joke: Robin's grand promise of winter provisions amounts only to goose feathers and a knife.
- Pastoral Poetry — Harvest work, a cotter household, rural courtship, and references to food and weaving place the action within an idealized yet earthy agricultural community.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · Scots language · pastoral courtship · harvest labor · reaper · rural Scotland · Dunse · cottar life · elder's daughter · working-class romance · bold suitor · comic deception
What this Textopian page supports
Robin Shure in Hairst is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1787 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: 1787 CE
- Genres: Scottish Folk Song, Lyric Poetry, Comic Song, Pastoral Poetry, Narrative Song
- Length: 162 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
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