1. O whither away, my bonnie May,
Sae late and sae dark in the gloamin'?
The mist gathers gray o'er moorland and brae.
O whither sae far are ye roamin'?
I trysted my ain love last night in the broom,
My Donald wha loves me sae dearly.
For the morrow he will march for Edinburgh toon,
Tae fecht for his king and Prince Charlie.
Chorus:
O, ye'll tak' the high road and I'll tak' the low road,
An' I'll be in Scotland afore ye.
For me and my true love will never meet again
By the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
2. O braw Charlie Stewart, dear true, true heart,
Wha could refuse thee protection?
Like the weeping birk on the wild hillside,
How gracefu' he looked in dejection.
O, weel may I weep for yestre'en in my sleep.
We lay bride and bridegroom together.
But his touch and his breath were cold as the death,
And his hairtsblood ran red in the heather.
Chorus:
3. As dauntless in battle as tender in love,
He'd yield ne'er a foot tae the foeman.
But never again frae the fields o' the slain
Tae his Moira will he come by Loch Lomond.
The thistle may bloom, the king hae his ain,
And fond lovers will meet in the gloamin'.
And me and my true love will yet meet again
Far above the bonnie banks o Loch Lomond.
Chorus:
