Ae Fond Kiss

Robert BurnsScottish Romantic eraPoem

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!

Who shall say that Fortune grieves him
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu’ twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.

I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy;
Naething could resist my Nancy;
But to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love for ever.

Had we never loved sae kindly,
Had we never loved sae blindly,
Never met—or never parted,
We had ne’er been broken-hearted.

Fare thee weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare thee weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
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!

Cultural reading

Reading the poem

A lover marks one last kiss and a final parting, says no star of hope is left him, insists that to see her was to love her for ever, and wishes her every joy while judging that never to have met would have spared the heartbreak.

Language notes

Text and edition

The text is in Scots (Ae, fareweel, nae, naething, sae, ilka, weel); 'Ae' means 'one'.