Traditional Scottish Songs
- Castles in the Air
Castles in the Air
The bonnie, bonnie bairn wha sits poking in the ase,
Glow'ring in the fire wi' his wee round face;
Laughing at the fuffin' lowe, what sees he there?
Ha! the young dreamer's bigging castles in the air.His wee chubby face and his touzie curly pow,
Are laughing and nodding... to the dancing lowe,
He'll brown his rosy cheeks, and singe his sunny hair,
Glow'ring at the imps wi' their castles in the air.He sees muckle castles tow'ring to the moon,
He sees little sodgers pu'ing them a' doun!
Worlds whombling up and doun, bleezing wi' a flare,
See how he loups! as they glimmer in the air.For a' sae sage he looks, what can the laddie ken!
He's thinking upon naething, like mony mighty men;
A wee thing mak's us think, a sma' thing mak's us stare,
There are mair folk than him bigging castles in the air.Sic a night in winter weel mak' him cauld;
His chin upon his buffy hand will soon mak' him auld,
His brow is brent sae braid, O pray that daddy Care,
Would let the wean alane, wi' his castles in the air.He'll glow'r at the fire! and he'll keek at the light!
But mony sparkling stars are swallow'd up by night;
Aulder e'en than his are glamour'd by a glare,
Hearts are broken, heads are turn'd wi' castles in the air.Meaning of unusual words:
ase=ashes
fuffin' lowe=smoking blaze
bigging=building
pow=head
muckle=large
whombling=capsize
loups=jumps
ken=know
Sic=such
buffy=chubby
brent sae braid=smooth right across
keek=peep
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
