Dougie Maclean - Ae Fond Kiss by Robert Burns

The story behind Ae Fond Kiss, one of Burns' most recorded songs.
After the publication of his collected poems, the Kilmarnock volume, Burns regularly travelled and stayed in Edinburgh. While there he established a platonic relationship with Mrs Agnes Maclehose and they began a regular correspondence using the pseudonyms "Clarinda" and "Sylvander". Burns wrote "Ae fond kiss" after their final meeting and sent it to Maclehose on 27 December 1791 before she departed Edinburgh for Jamaica to be with her estranged husband.

The letter is held by National Library of Scotland as part of the Watson Autograph collection of manuscripts.

Burns's original setting of three verses in eight lines was set to the tune of Rory Dalls's "Port". The musical score was published in the collection of Scottish folks songs known as the Scots Musical Museum.
~ Wikipedia


The full poem ...

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever [ae = one]
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me; [nae = no]
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy, [ne'er = never]
Naething could resist my Nancy;
But to see her was to love her;
Love but her, and love forever.

Had we never loved sae kindly, [sae = so]
Had we never loved sae blindly,
Nor never met - nor never parted,
We would never have been sae broken-hearted.

Fare-thee-weel, my first and fairest
Fare-thee-weel, my best and dearest
Thine be ilka joy and treasure, [ilka = every]
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.