The sun was setting in the west The birds were singing on ev'ry tree All nature seemed inclined to rest But still there was no rest for me Chorus Farewell to Nova Scotia, the sea-bound coast Let your mountains dark and dreary be And when I am far away on the briny oceans tossed Will you ever heave a sigh and a wish for me? I grieve to leave my native land I grieve to leave my comrades all And my aged parents whom I always held so dear And the bonnie, bonnie lass that I do adore The drums they do beat and the wars do alarm The captain calls, we must obey So farewell, farewell to Nova Scotia's charms For it's early in the morning I am far, far away I have three brothers and they are at rest Their arms are folded on their breast But a poor simple sailor just like me Must be tossed and driven on the dark blue sea |
According to research by Linda C Craig and Marjory Whitelaw,
"The Nova Scotia Song" began as a poem called "The Soldier's Adieu" by
Robert Tannahill (1774-1810), from Paisley, Scotland. Those words are : THE SOLDIERS ADIEU. THE weary suns gane doun the west, The birds sit nodding on the tree, All nature now inclines for rest, But rest allowd theres none for me: The trumpet calls to wars alarms, The rattling drum forbids my stay; Ah! Nancy, bless thy soldiers arms, For ere morn I will be far away. They were found here: Fragments of Songs More on Robert Tannahill & Soldier's Adieu |