---
title: "O Tibbie, I Hae Seen the Day"
author: "Robert Burns"
form: "Song"
year: "1771 - 1779"
tune: "Invercauld’s Reel, or Strathspey"
location: "Mount Oliphant"
source: "Project Gutenberg #1279 — Poems and Songs of Robert Burns"
source_url: "https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1279/pg1279.txt"
canonical_url: "https://robert-burns.com/poems/o-tibbie-i-hae-seen-the-day/"
---

# O Tibbie, I Hae Seen the Day

## Song
*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

Yestreen I met you on the moor,  
Ye spak na, but gaed by like stour;  
Ye geck at me because I’m poor,  
But fient a hair care I.

*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

When coming hame on Sunday last,  
Upon the road as I cam past,  
Ye snufft and ga’e your head a cast—  
But trowth I care’t na by.

*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

I doubt na, lass, but ye may think,  
Because ye hae the name o’ clink,  
That ye can please me at a wink,  
Whene’er ye like to try.

*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

But sorrow tak’ him that’s sae mean,  
Altho’ his pouch o’ coin were clean,  
Wha follows ony saucy quean,  
That looks sae proud and high.

*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

Altho’ a lad were e’er sae smart,  
If that he want the yellow dirt,  
Ye’ll cast your head anither airt,  
And answer him fu’ dry.

*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

But, if he hae the name o’ gear,  
Ye’ll fasten to him like a brier,  
Tho’ hardly he, for sense or lear,  
Be better than the kye.

*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

But, Tibbie, lass, tak’ my advice:  
Your daddie’s gear maks you sae nice;  
The deil a ane wad speir your price,  
Were ye as poor as I.

*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

There lives a lass beside yon park,  
I’d rather hae her in her sark,  
Than you wi’ a’ your thousand mark;  
That gars you look sae high.

*Chorus*  
O Tibbie, I hae seen the day,  
Ye wadna been sae shy;  
For laik o’ gear ye lightly me,  
But, trowth, I care na by.

---

Source: [Project Gutenberg #1279 — Poems and Songs of Robert Burns](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1279/pg1279.txt)  
Canonical HTML: https://robert-burns.com/poems/o-tibbie-i-hae-seen-the-day/