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Lyric Poem · Nature

The Rigs o’ Barley

by Robert Burns

IT was upon a Lammas night,

When corn rigs are bonie,

Beneath the moon’s unclouded light,

I held awa to Annie;

The time flew by, wi’ tentless heed,

Till, ’tween the late and early,

Wi’ sma’ persuasion she agreed

To see me thro’ the barley.

Corn rigs, an’ barley rigs,

An’ corn rigs are bonie:

I’ll ne’er forget that happy night,

Amang the rigs wi’ Annie.

The sky was blue, the wind was still,

The moon was shining clearly;

I set her down, wi’ right good will,

Amang the rigs o’ barley:

I ken’t her heart was a’ my ain;

I lov’d her most sincerely;

I kiss’d her owre and owre again,

Amang the rigs o’ barley.

Corn rigs, an’ barley rigs, &c.

I lock’d her in my fond embrace;

Her heart was beating rarely:

My blessings on that happy place,

Amang the rigs o’ barley!

But by the moon and stars so bright,

That shone that hour so clearly!

She aye shall bless that happy night

Amang the rigs o’ barley.

Corn rigs, an’ barley rigs, &c.

I hae been blythe wi’ comrades dear;

I hae been merry drinking;

I hae been joyfu’ gath’rin gear;

I hae been happy thinking:

But a’ the pleasures e’er I saw,

Tho’ three times doubl’d fairly,

That happy night was worth them a’,

Amang the rigs o’ barley.

Corn rigs, an’ barley rigs, &c.

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Quick facts

Poem
The Rigs o’ Barley
Poet
Robert Burns
Length
39 lines
Form
Lyric Poem
Themes
Nature, Love

Craft notes

How this poem works

Measured from the text on this page, not copied from a summary. Counts are approximate: syllables and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, which models General American English, so dialect, older pronunciation, and performance can all change what you hear.

Shape
39 lines · 5 stanzas of 4–9 lines
Line length
Lines run 6-8 syllables (median 7). No single length dominates, which is normal once elision and contraction are in play.
Refrains
Amang the rigs o’ barley:Amang the rigs o’ barley.Corn rigs, an’ barley rigs, &c.Repeated lines act as the poem's hinge or drumbeat.

Want the rules this form is measured against? Read what makes a lyric poem, or run your own draft through the form checker to see the same measurements on your lines. How we measure · Report a mistake

Text, source & rights

A traceable edition

Full-text display is based on the committed source record and a United States term-expiry review.

Author record
Robert Burns1759–1796
Source record
PoetryDBThe Rigs o’ Barley by robert-burns, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision
Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record
Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint
SHA-256 91bcbf7d67cdb3b3
Editorial handling
Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.
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