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O can ye sew Cushions,
And can ye sew sheets
And can ye sing bal-lu-loo
When the bairn greets.

And hee and baw bir-die
And hee and baw lamb
And hee and baw bir-die
My bon-nie wee lamb.

Hee O wee O what wou'd I do
Wi' you black's the life that
I lead wi' you mon-ny
O you lit-tle for to gie you
Hee O wee O what would I do wi' you.

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Source: The Scots Musical Museum, vol. V (1796), no. 444

Notes:
From "Illustrations" by William Stenhouse (reprinted edition, vol. II, p. 394):
The words and music of this nursery song were communicated by Burns to the publisher of the Museum, in which it first appeared in print; but the bard has left us no hints respecting the history of the song. The late Mr Urbani of Edinburgh, an excellent musician and composer, who was very fond of the melody, afterwards introduced it, with new accompaniments by himself, in the second volume of his valuable Collection of Scottish Songs. Since that period it has always been a favourite. I have heard another verse of this ditty: It runs--
I've placed my cradle on yon holly top,
And aye as the wind blew, my cradle did rock;
O hush a ba, baby, O ba lilly loo,
And hee and ba, birdie, my bonnie wee dow.
Hee O! wee O!
What will I do wi' you, &c.


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