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Poems and Songs of Robert Burns

Chapter 531: O Steer Her Up An’ Haud Her Gaun
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About This Book

The collection assembles lyrical songs, narrative poems, satirical pieces, epistles, epitaphs, and fragments that shift between convivial drinking verses, tender laments, and comic storytelling. Many lyrics were shaped to traditional airs and preserve vernacular speech, while longer works portray rural labor, domestic scenes, and compassionate encounters with animals. Satire targets religious hypocrisy and social pretension, and several poems take a direct, personal tone of moral reflection or affectionate address. The selections alternate moods and forms, emphasizing melodic phrasing and a versatile technical range.

O Steer Her Up An’ Haud Her Gaun

O steer her up, an’ haud her gaun, Her mither’s at the mill, jo; An’ gin she winna tak a man, E’en let her tak her will, jo. First shore her wi’ a gentle kiss, And ca’ anither gill, jo; An’ gin she tak the thing amiss, E’en let her flyte her fill, jo. O steer her up, an’ be na blate, An’ gin she tak it ill, jo, Then leave the lassie till her fate, And time nae langer spill, jo: Ne’er break your heart for ae rebute, But think upon it still, jo: That gin the lassie winna do’t, Ye’ll find anither will, jo.