Chorus—O can ye labour lea, young man,
O can ye labour lea?
It fee nor bountith shall us twine
Gin ye can labour lea.
I fee’d a man at Michaelmas,
Wi’ airle pennies three;
But a’ the faut I had to him,
He could na labour lea,
O can ye labour lea, &c.
O clappin’s gude in Febarwar,
An’ kissin’s sweet in May;
But my delight’s the ploughman lad,
That weel can labour lea,
O can ye labour lea, &c.
O kissin is the key o’ luve,
And clappin’ is the lock;
An’ makin’ o’s the best thing yet,
That e’er a young thing gat.
O can ye labour lea, &c.