Volume VI, song 591, page 611 - 'Ye Muses nine, O lend your aid' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'Ye Muses nine, O lend your aid, Inspire a tender bashful maid, That's lately yielded up her heart, A conquest to love's pow'rful dart. And now would fain attempt to sing, The praises of my Highland King, And now would fain attempt to sing, The praises of my Highland King.' 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. The note at the top of the score refers the reader back to the first song in Volume I, 'The Highland Queen'. At the end of this song an alternative set of verses has been given, entitled 'The Highland King'. These are the same lyrics a with different title. The melodys are, however, different, with this melody now thought to be the most beautiful. This melody was first published in Oswald's 'Caledonian Companion' of 1760.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503786

Title

Volume VI, song 591, page 611 - 'Ye Muses nine, O lend your aid' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 129 x 211 mm