Volume IV, song 387, page 401 - 'Bonie Bell' - Scanned from...
Volume IV, song 387, page 401 - 'Bonie Bell' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)
Verse 1: 'The smiling spring comes in rejoicing, And surly winter grimly flies; Now crystal clear are the falling waters, And bonny blue are the sunny skies. Fresh o'er the mountains breaks forth the morning, The ev'ning gilds the Ocean's swell; All Creatures joy in the sun's returning, And I rejoice in my Bonie Bell.'
The 'Scots Musical Museum' is the most important of the numerous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections of Scottish song. When the engraver James Johnson started work on the second volume of his collection in 1787, he enlisted Robert Burns as contributor and editor. Burns enthusiastically collected songs from various sources, often expanding or revising them, whilst including much of his own work. The resulting combination of innovation and antiquarianism gives the work a feel of living tradition.
This song was written by Burns and presented by him, along with the accompanying melody, for inclusion in the 'Museum'. Unfortunately, little is known about the origins of the tune. Glen (1900) was unable to find it in any collections prior to the 'Museum' and suspected that it was not of Scottish origin, suggesting that 'it may be modern, or more likely, Irish, as it has several traits of their style'. Despite Burns's intention to keep the 'Museum' exclusively Scottish, a surprising number of English and Irish tunes have found their way into the collection.
Volume IV, song 387, page 401 - 'Bonie Bell' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)