Sweet Afton
"Sweet Afton" is a lyrical poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns, composed c. 1789 and first shared in a letter dated February 5, 1789.[1] The work personifies the Afton Water, a small stream in Ayrshire, Scotland, as a gentle entity, imploring it—and the surrounding birds and nature—to remain quiet so as not to disturb the speaker's beloved Mary, who sleeps peacefully by its banks.[2] Through vivid imagery of green braes, woodlands, primroses, and flowing rills, the poem encapsulates the serene beauty of the Scottish pastoral landscape and themes of love and tranquility.[3] Originally untitled and written in Scots dialect, "Sweet Afton" was presented by Burns to Mrs. Alexander Stewart of Afton Lodge in 1791 as a gesture of gratitude for her early patronage and support of his work.[4] It appeared in print in James Johnson's Scots Musical Museum in 1792, intended as a song lyric without an accompanying melody from Burns himself.[5] The "Mary" referenced in the poem is often interpreted as Margaret Campbell, known as Highland Mary, a close companion of Burns who died in 1786, though some readings connect it more broadly to the peaceful domestic life idealized in the Afton valley.[2] In 1837, American composer and lawyer Jonathan E. Spilman set the lyrics to an original melody titled "Flow Gently, Sweet Afton," which became widely popular in the United States and is the version most commonly sung today, distinct from any traditional Scottish airs Burns may have envisioned.[6] Over time, the piece has been adapted into hymns, folk arrangements, and choral works, maintaining its status as one of Burns's most enduring celebrations of nature and quiet affection.[7]Overview
Poem Summary
"Sweet Afton," composed by Robert Burns around 1789, is a lyrical poem crafted as a pastoral lullaby in the Scots dialect, addressing the gentle flow of Afton Water in Ayrshire, Scotland, and incorporating regional terms such as "braes" for hillsides and "stock-dove" for a wood pigeon.[1] The poem consists of six stanzas, each with four lines in ballad meter, evoking a serene riverside scene with elements of nature and quiet repose. This is the original 6-stanza version from Burns's 1789 manuscript; later publications and adaptations often use a 4-stanza version.[3] Here is the full text as originally written:Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes!It was first published in volume 4 of James Johnson's The Scots Musical Museum in 1792, presented as a song lyric without accompanying music composed by Burns himself.[8]
Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise;
My Mary's asleep by the murmur of the stream,
And I'll love thee as long as thou lend's me thy theme. Thy green banks and braes, with the broom wild and gay,
With the purple-blossom'd heather cover'd o'er,
Where the huntsman and greyhound are bounding away,
And the shepherd's soft pipe is resounding no more. How pleasant thy banks and green valleys below,
Where wild in the woodlands the stock-doves do coo,
There oft, as mild ev'ning sails over the lea,
The sweet-scented birk shades my Mary and me. Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides,
And winds by the cot where my Mary resides;
How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave,
As, gathering sweet flowrets, she stems thy clear wave. Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream,
I fear that thy waters may rouse her frae sleep,
And that her blue e'en gaily smiling may gleam,
When I in a merry morning shall waken thee. Thus may thy waters in future times praise
The farmer's delight, and the herdsman's theme;
Thus, sweet Afton, may thou vocal be,
And through my voice give glee and joy to me.