Whistle O'er the Lave O't
written in 1789
Whistle O'er the Lave O't - fact Summary
About Jean Armour
Written in 1789, this light, conversational song reflects Robert Burns’s personal feelings about his marriage to Jean Armour. The speaker moves from romantic idealization of "Maggie" to a tolerant acceptance of married life, acknowledging both affection and irritation. The repeated chorus, "Whistle o'er the lave o't," functions as a jaunty dismissal of public scrutiny or petty complaints. The poem thus records a domestic, autobiographical moment in Burns’s life: affection tempered by the everyday realities of marriage.
Read Complete AnalysesFirst when Maggie was my care, Heav'n, I thought, was in her air, Now we're married - speir nae mair, But whistle o'er the lave o't! Meg was meek, and Meg was mild, Sweet and harmless as a child - Wiser men than me's beguil'd; Whistle o'er the lave o't! How we live, my Meg and me, How we love, and how we gree, I care na by how few may see - Whistle o'er the lave o't! Wha I wish were maggot's meat, Dish'd up in her winding-sheet, I could write - but Meg maun see't - Whistle o'er the lave o't!
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