When I've done my work of day And I row my boat away Down the waters o' Loch Tay As the evening light is fading And I look upon Ben Lawers Where the after-glory glows And I think on two bright eyes And the merry mouth below She's my beauteous nighean ruadh She's my joy and sorrow too And although she is untrue Well, I cannot live without her For my heart's a boat in tow And I'd give the world to know Why she means to let me go As I sing horee horo Nighean ruadh, your lovely hair
Has more glamour I declare Than all the tresses rare From k**in to Aberfeldy Be they lint white, brown or gold Be they blacker than the sloe They are worth no more to me Than the melting flake of snow Her eyes are like the gleam O' the sunlight on the stream And the songs the fairies sing Seem like songs she sings at milking But my heart is full of woe For last night she bade me go And the tears begin to flow As I sing horee, horo