The earliest existing copy of the sheet music is from around 1615, in John Skene of Halyards Manuscript (seen above) although it's thought to have been sung for some time before that. The original lyrics, however, are lost. The present lyrics were written by Scottish poet Jean Elliot in 1756:
Lyrics by Jean Elliot (1727-1805)
I’ve heard the lilting, at the yowe (ewe)-milking,
Lasses a-lilting before dawn o’ day;
But now they are moaning on ilka (every) green loaning;
“The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede (withered) away”.
As buchts (cattle pens), in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning;
The lasses are lonely and dowie (sad) and wae (woeful).
Nae daffin’ (dallying), nae gabbin’ (talking), but sighing and sobbing,
Ilk (each) ane lifts her leglen (stool), and hies her away.
In hairst (harvest), at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering,
The Bandsters (binders) are lyart (grizzled), and runkled (crumpled) and grey.
At fair or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching (coaxing),
The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away.
At e’en, in the gloaming (twilight), nae swankies (handsome young men) are roaming,
‘Bout stacks wi’ the lasses at bogle (peek-a-boo) to play.
But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting her dearie,
The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away.
Dule (mourning clothes) and wae for the order sent our lads to the Border;
The English, for ance, by guile wan the day:
The Flowers of the Forest, that foucht aye the foremost,
The prime o’ our land are cauld in the clay.
We’ll hae nae mair lilting, at the yowe-milking,
Women and bairns are dowie and wae.
Sighing and moaning, on ilka green loaning,
The Flowers of the forest are all wede away.