It Was A' For Our Rightfu' King
Verses as above.

Published unsigned in The Scots Musical Museum, Volume 5, 1796, p.513 (No.497).

Robert Burns rewrote the words to the older ballad "Bonny Mally Stewart", (ca. mid 1700s), which was reproduced later in chapbooks, and was popular in the streets of Edinburgh at the close of the eighteenth century.

"Bonny Mally Stewart" ends with a verse also associated with Burns's "It Was A' for Our Rightfu' King," and follows the same metrical pattern.

"It Was A' For Our Rightfu' King"
Verse 3

He turn'd him right and round about,
Upon the Irish shore;
And gae his bridle reins a shake,
With adieu for evermore,
my dear,
And adieu for evermore.


"Bonny Mally Stewart"
Verse 11

The trooper turned himself round about,
?all on the Irish shore,
He has gi'en on the bridle reins a shake,
?saying adieu for evermore, my dear,
?Saying adieu for evermore.


"Bonny Mally Stewart" describes, in eleven stanzas, the parting of the trooper with his sweetheart who, however, disguises herself in men's clothes and follows him.


"Bonny Mally Stewart"

Printed in various chapbooks
J. and M. Robertson, Saltmarket, 1807
W. Macnie, Stirling, 1825

The cold winter is p'st and gone,
?and now comes on the soring,
And I am one of the king's life guards
?and I must go fight far my king my dear;
?And I mnst go fight for my king.

Now since to the wars you must go,
?one thing I pray grant me
It's I will dress myself in man's attire,
?and I'll travel along with thee my dear;
?And I'll travel along with thee.

I would not for ten thousand worlds,
?that my love endangered were;
The rattling of drums and shining of swords,
?will cause great sorrow and wo my dear,
?Will cause great sorrow and wo.

I will do the thing for my true love,
?that she will not do fo me
It's I'll put cuffs of luck on my red coat,
?and mourn till the day I die, my dear,
?And mourn till the day I die.

I will do more for my true love,
?than he will do for me;
I'll cut my hair and roll me bare,
?and mourn till the day I die,
?And mourn till the day I die.

So farewell my mother and father dear,
?I'll bid adieu and farewell,
My sweet and bonny Mally Stewart,
?you're the cause of all my wo, my dear,
?You're the cause of all my wo.

When we came to bonny Stirling town,
?as we lay all in camp
By the king's orders we were all taken,
?and to Germany we were all sent, my dear,
?And to Germany we were all sent.

So farewell bonny Stirling town,
?and the maids therein also;
And farewell bonny Mally Stewart,
?you're the cause of all my wo, my dear,
?You're the cause of all my wo.

She took the slippers off her feet,
?and the cockup off her hair;
And she has ta'en a long journey,
?for seven lang years and mair, my dear,
?For seven lang years and mair.

Sometimes the rade, sometimes she gaed,
?Sometimes sat down to mourn
And it was aye the o'ercome o' her tale,
?Shall I e'er see my bonny laddie come.

The trooper turned himself round about,
?all on the Irish shore,
He has gi'en on the bridle reins a shake,
?saying adieu for evermore, my dear,
?Saying adieu for evermore.