[D] There’s nought but care on ev’ry han’,
[e] In every hour that passes, O [G]:
What signifies the [D] life o’ man,
An’ [e] ’twere na for the [h] lasses, O.
Chorus:
Green grow the rushes, O;
Green grow the rushes, O;
The sweetest hours that e’er I spend,
Are spent among the lasses, O.
The war’ly race may riches chase,
An’ riches still may fly them, O;
An’ tho’ at last they catch them fast,
Their hearts can ne’er enjoy them, O.
But gie me a cannie hour at e’en,
My arms about my dearie, O,
An’ war’ly cares an’ war’ly men
May a’ gae tapsalteerie, O!
For you sae douce, ye sneer at this;
Ye’re nought but senseless asses, O;
The wisest man the warl’ e’er saw,
He dearly lov’d the lasses, O.
Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears
Her noblest work she classes, O:
Her prentice han’ she try’d on man,
An’ then she made the lasses, O.
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