Should Old Acquaintance be forgot
and never thought upon
The flames of Love extinguished
and fully past and gone
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold
that loving Breast of thine
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old long syne
On Old long syne my Jo
On Old long syne
That thou canst never once reflect
On Old long syne
My Heart is ravisht with delight
when thee I think upon
All Grief and Sorrow takes the flight
and speedily is gone
The bright resemblance of thy Face
so fills this, Heart of mine
That Force nor Fate can me displease
for Old long syne
For Old long syne my Jo
for Old long syne
Assure thy self of welcome Love
for Old long syne
Since thoughts of thee doth banish grief
when from thee I am gone
will not thy presence yield relief
to this sad Heart of mine
Why doth thy presence me defeat
with excellence divine?
Especially when I reflect
on Old long syne
For Old long syne my Jo
for Old long syne
Assure thy self of welcome Love
for Old long syne
Oh, then, Clorinda, prove more kind
be not ungratefull still
Since that my Heart ye have so ty’d
why shoud ye then it kill
Sure, Faith and Hope depend on thee
kill me not with disdain
Or else I swear I’ll still reflect
on Old long syne
Since you have rob’d me of my Heart
It`s reason I have yours
Which Madam Nature doth impart
to your black Eyes and Browes
With honour it doth not consist
to hold thy Slave in pain
Pray let thy rigour then resist
for Old long syne
For Old long syne my Jo
for Old long syne
Assure thy self of welcome Love
for Old long syne
It is my freedom I do crave
by depracating pain
Since libertie ye will not give
who glories in his Chain
But yet I wish the gods to move
that noble Heart of thine
To pity since ye cannot love
for Old long syne
For Old long syne my Jo
for Old long syne
Assure thy self of welcome Love
for Old long syne
But since that nothing can prevail
and all hopes are in vain
From these rejected Eyes of mine
still showers of Tears Shall rain
Though thou wast Rebel to the King
and beat with Wind therein
Assure thy self of welcome Love
for Old long syne
For Old long syne my Jo
for Old long syne
Assure thy self of welcome Love
for Old long syne
Text: Robert Watson (1711)
Musik: auf eine traditionelle schottische Melodie
