Heather Down the Moor

One morn in May the fields were gay

Serene and pleasant was the weather

I spied a lass and a very bonny lass

She was scoopin dew in among the heather

down the moor

In among the heather, o'er the moor

and through the heather

I spied a lass and a very bonny lass

She was scoopin dew in among the heather down the moor

Barefooted was she, she was comely dressed

and on her head neither cap nor feather

But the plaid hung neatly about her waist

As she tripped through the bloomin heather

down the moor

In among the heather, o'er the moor

and through the heather

But a plaid hung neatly about her waist

As she tripped through the bloomin heather

down the moor

I stepped up to this fair maid

Tell me your name what brings you hither

And she answered me down by the bonny Bann-side

And I'm herding all my ewes together down the moor

In among the heather, o'er the moor

and through the heather

And she answered me down by the bonny Bann-side

I'm herding all my ewes tagither down the moor

I courted her that lee-long day and

me heart was light as any feather

Until the beams of the red setting sun came

shining down in among the heather down the moor

In among the heather, o'er the moor

and through the heather

Until the beams of the red setting sun came

shining down in among the heather down the moor

She said young man, I must away

For my ewes are straying from eachother

But I'm loath for to part from you as the bonnie

wee lamb is to part their mother down the moor

In among the heather, o'er the moor

and through the heather

But I'm as loath to part from you as the bonnie

wee lambs as to part their mother down the moor

So up she got and away she went and her

place and her name I cannot gather

But if I were king, I would make her a queen

The bonny lass I met among the heather

Down the moor

In among the heather, o'er the moor

and through the heather

But if I were king, I would make her queen

The bonny wee lass I met among the heather

Down the moor

Words as from Sam Henry's Songs of the People:

One morning in May when the fields were gay,

Serene and pleasant was the weather,

I happened to roam some miles from home

Amang the bonnie bloomin heather

Doon the moor, roon amang the heather,

O'er the moor and through the heather,

I happened to roam some miles from home

Amang the bonnie bloomin heather, Doon the moor.

I trudged along with the lilt of a song

My heart as light as any feather

Until I met with a very bonnie lass

She was brushing the dew frae amang the heather,

Doon the moor,....

'O,' said I, 'my fair lassie, where have you been?'

Her name and place I scarce could gather

She answered me by the bonnie burn side

'A-feeding of my flocks together.'

Doon the moor...

barefooted was she, and trig and clean

Her cap as light as any feather

With a tartan plaid hanging neatly round her waist

She tripped through the bloomin' heather.

Doon the moor...

We tigged and toyed from morn till e'en

It being the langest day in summer,

Until the rays of the red settin' sun

Came trinklin' doon amang the heather.

Doon the moor...

She charmed my heart and pleased me e'en,

I ne'er can think on ony ither

If I was a king she would be queen,

The lass I met amang the heather

Doon the moor...

trig: trim or tight in dress; spruce, smart

tig: a light but significant touch; a tap or pat.

Oh, as I roved out of a bright May morning, calm and clear was the weather

I chanced to roam some miles from home among the beautiful blooming heather,

And it's heather on the moor, over the heather,

Over the moor and among the heather

I chanced to roam some miles from home among the beautiful blooming heather,.

And it's heather on the moor.

As I roved along with my hunting song my heart as light as any feather.

l met a pretty maid upon the way, she was tripping the dew down from the heather

"Where are you going to my pretty fair maid, by hill or dale come tell me

whether."

Right modestly she answered me, "to the feeding of my lambs together."

We both shook hands and down we sat, it being the longest day of summer,

We sat till the red setting beams of the sun came sparklin' down

among the heather.

"Now," she says. "I must away; my lambs and sheep have strayed from other,

For I am loth to part from you as those fond lambs are to part from their

mother."

Up she rose and away she goes, her name or place l know not either,

But if I was king, I'd make her queen, the lass I met among the heather.

Closeup of bell heather blooms

DOON THE MOOR (3)

As I rode out one morn in May

It being fine and sunny weather,

Some miles frae home I chanced to roam

Among the bonny, blooming heather

Doon the moor.

Doon the moor and 'mang the heather

Some miles frae home I chanced to roam

Among the bonny, blooming heather

Doon the moor.

I rode along to the huntsman's song

My heart bein' light as any feather,

Until I met with tha wee lass

A-brushin' the dew from off the heather

Doon the moor etc.

She barefoot was and homely clad

And she wore neither hat nor feather

But her plaid hung neatly 'round her waist

As she tripped o'er the blooming heather.

We tigged and toyed frae morn to night

It bein' the langest day in summer

Until the beams o' the red, settin' sun

Came sparklin' doon along the heather.

Says she, "My laddie, I maun gang

My ewes are strayin' frae each ither

And I'm as loth to part wi' you

As the wee lambs to part their mither."

Then up she got and off she went

Her name nor place I ne'er could gather

But if I were king, I'd make her queen

The lass I met amang the heather.

Recorded By

Peter Bellamy

June Tabor

Brian Hart

Great Art Treasures at

Olga's Gallery

Art Renewal Center

Web Gallery of Art

No part of this website may be used for any purpose ( including using images )

without written consent from The Rams Horn

NEXT SONG

Shepherds Songbook SHEEP SHEARING Sheep Jewelry	HOME \| home Ca' the Ewes to The Knowes \| Queen Among The Heather \| The Broom of Cowdenknowes \| Bonny May \| Searching for Lambs \| Heather Down the Moor \| The Shepherd's Wife \| Tarry Wool \| Stormy Winds \| Shepherd of the Downs \| The Sheep-Shearing Song \| The Sheep Shearing \| Rosebud in June \| Lincolnshire Shepherd \| Sheep Shearin \| Drink Boys, Drink \| Darby Ram \| Ewie wi' the Crookit Horn \| Master of the Sheepfold \| The Sheep Under the Snow \| The Weary Pund O' Tow \| Sheep Crook and Black Dog \| The Shearing's Nae For You \| Band of Shearers \| Twanky Dillo \| The Shepherd Lad O' Rhynie \| Laird o' Drum \| Blind Shepherd \| Canny Shepherd Laddie \| Road to the Isles \| Tip O' Derwent
	Heather Down the Moor One morn in May the fields were gay Serene and pleasant was the weather I spied a lass and a very bonny lass She was scoopin dew in among the heather down the moor In among the heather, o'er the moor and through the heather I spied a lass and a very bonny lass She was scoopin dew in among the heather down the moor Barefooted was she, she was comely dressed and on her head neither cap nor feather But the plaid hung neatly about her waist As she tripped through the bloomin heather down the moor In among the heather, o'er the moor and through the heather But a plaid hung neatly about her waist As she tripped through the bloomin heather down the moor I stepped up to this fair maid Tell me your name what brings you hither And she answered me down by the bonny Bann-side And I'm herding all my ewes together down the moor In among the heather, o'er the moor and through the heather And she answered me down by the bonny Bann-side I'm herding all my ewes tagither down the moor I courted her that lee-long day and me heart was light as any feather Until the beams of the red setting sun came shining down in among the heather down the moor In among the heather, o'er the moor and through the heather Until the beams of the red setting sun came shining down in among the heather down the moor She said young man, I must away For my ewes are straying from eachother But I'm loath for to part from you as the bonnie wee lamb is to part their mother down the moor In among the heather, o'er the moor and through the heather But I'm as loath to part from you as the bonnie wee lambs as to part their mother down the moor So up she got and away she went and her place and her name I cannot gather But if I were king, I would make her a queen The bonny lass I met among the heather Down the moor In among the heather, o'er the moor and through the heather But if I were king, I would make her queen The bonny wee lass I met among the heather Down the moor Words as from Sam Henry's Songs of the People: One morning in May when the fields were gay, Serene and pleasant was the weather, I happened to roam some miles from home Amang the bonnie bloomin heather Doon the moor, roon amang the heather, O'er the moor and through the heather, I happened to roam some miles from home Amang the bonnie bloomin heather, Doon the moor. I trudged along with the lilt of a song My heart as light as any feather Until I met with a very bonnie lass She was brushing the dew frae amang the heather, Doon the moor,.... 'O,' said I, 'my fair lassie, where have you been?' Her name and place I scarce could gather She answered me by the bonnie burn side 'A-feeding of my flocks together.' Doon the moor... barefooted was she, and trig and clean Her cap as light as any feather With a tartan plaid hanging neatly round her waist She tripped through the bloomin' heather. Doon the moor... We tigged and toyed from morn till e'en It being the langest day in summer, Until the rays of the red settin' sun Came trinklin' doon amang the heather. Doon the moor... She charmed my heart and pleased me e'en, I ne'er can think on ony ither If I was a king she would be queen, The lass I met amang the heather Doon the moor... trig: trim or tight in dress; spruce, smart tig: a light but significant touch; a tap or pat. Oh, as I roved out of a bright May morning, calm and clear was the weather I chanced to roam some miles from home among the beautiful blooming heather, And it's heather on the moor, over the heather, Over the moor and among the heather I chanced to roam some miles from home among the beautiful blooming heather,. And it's heather on the moor. As I roved along with my hunting song my heart as light as any feather. l met a pretty maid upon the way, she was tripping the dew down from the heather "Where are you going to my pretty fair maid, by hill or dale come tell me whether." Right modestly she answered me, "to the feeding of my lambs together." We both shook hands and down we sat, it being the longest day of summer, We sat till the red setting beams of the sun came sparklin' down among the heather. "Now," she says. "I must away; my lambs and sheep have strayed from other, For I am loth to part from you as those fond lambs are to part from their mother." Up she rose and away she goes, her name or place l know not either, But if I was king, I'd make her queen, the lass I met among the heather. Closeup of bell heather blooms DOON THE MOOR (3) As I rode out one morn in May It being fine and sunny weather, Some miles frae home I chanced to roam Among the bonny, blooming heather Doon the moor. Doon the moor and 'mang the heather Doon the moor and 'mang the heather Some miles frae home I chanced to roam Among the bonny, blooming heather Doon the moor. I rode along to the huntsman's song My heart bein' light as any feather, Until I met with tha wee lass A-brushin' the dew from off the heather Doon the moor etc. She barefoot was and homely clad And she wore neither hat nor feather But her plaid hung neatly 'round her waist As she tripped o'er the blooming heather. We tigged and toyed frae morn to night It bein' the langest day in summer Until the beams o' the red, settin' sun Came sparklin' doon along the heather. Says she, "My laddie, I maun gang My ewes are strayin' frae each ither And I'm as loth to part wi' you As the wee lambs to part their mither." Then up she got and off she went Her name nor place I ne'er could gather But if I were king, I'd make her queen The lass I met amang the heather. Recorded By Peter Bellamy June Tabor Brian Hart Great Art Treasures at Olga's Gallery Art Renewal Center Web Gallery of Art copyright 2002 , Jim & Beth Boyle, All Rights Reserved No part of this website may be used for any purpose ( including using images ) without written consent from The Rams Horn NEXT SONG