Vocal Score, Piano for
"Ae Fond Kiss"

Vocal score, piano accompaniment, & lead sheets for "Ae Fond Kiss," a flower among Scottish songs.   

You may think these simple love lyrics are an old folk song, but in reality, this Scottish poem was written by Robert Burns, a famous Scottish poet.

Robert Burns wrote this poem for a friend and gave it to her at the occasion of their final parting.  These simple love lyrics are so beautiful:

For to see her was to love her, 
Love but her, and love for ever.

Here is what the vocal and piano parts look like (scroll down the page for the free download links):

Scottish poem by Robert Burns, set to music

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

A note about a few of the lyric's words: 

*ae =  only. The "Ae" is pronounced to rhyme with "hay".

*ilka = every 

*sae =  so 

There is some information about the true history of this beautiful Scottish poem at a website with the curious name of dgdclynx:

"... in 1788 Burns conducted, in Edinburgh, a courtly love-affair by letter with Mrs Agnes Craig McLehose (1758-1851).

She was unhappily married and her relationship with Burns, the fashionable poet, was more ... platonic than physical.

Written at the end of their relationship (before Nancy sailed to Jamaica to rejoin her dissolute lawyer husband), 'Ae Fond Kiss' remains one of the most poignant songs of lost love. ...

Nowadays it is customarily sung to John Michael Diack's tune `founded on an old Scottish air'."

Scottish poem song lyrics & lead sheet "Ae Fond Kiss"

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

And for viola:

Free viola sheet music, Scottish song "Ae Fond Kiss"

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Here is the melody for bass clef, in the key of C:

Scottish song Ae Fond Kiss for bass singers & instruments

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

In the video below there is an interview smack dab in the middle... worth listening to, if this song catches your fancy!



The links for the vocal/piano scores:



Download Vocal Score, Piano Accompaniment for "Ae Fond Kiss" in C



Download Ae Fond Kiss in the key of D



Scottish poem song lyrics "Ae Fond Kiss" in Eb



Download simple love lyrics in the key of F



The links for the lead sheets:



Lead sheet "Ae Fond Kiss" in C



Scottish music in the key of F



Scottish poem song lyrics in G



Download "Ae Fond Kiss" lead sheet for viola, key of C



Download Ae Fond Kiss for bass clef, lead sheet in C



More Folk Songs to Sing:


Ae Fond Kiss - a love song about saying goodbye, from Scotland


All the Pretty Little Horses - a soft and repetitious lullaby, quite pretty


Ash Grove - a famous and lovely song from Wales


Auld Lang Syne - the New Year's Eve song!


Colorado Trail Song - an American tune written by a real cowboy


Come By the Hills - another popular Irish melody


Down By the Salley Gardens - a famous and pretty song, very sweet 


Green Bushes - a brisk little song that is pretty while being good for breath control training


Grenadier and the Lady - my favorite folk song of all.  Find out why


I Gave My Love a Cherry - the "Riddle Song" is very pretty


Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier - very beautiful, very moving, and a chance for your young singer to learn how to let her voice soar


Keegan's Waltz - this is a traditional Gaelic tune, but the lyrics are very new, supplied by a visitor to this site!


Lavender's Blue - this simple song is not only satisfying for beginning pianists, but also young singers who need to focus on basics.  With a lovely piano accompaniment.


Loch Lomond - the famous and sad song about never meeting again


Mari's Wedding - a singable tune with bouncy chords that is fun to play or sing


Minstrel Boy - a lovely and patriotic song about a warrior-poet


Molly Bawn - a sad story of a young hunter who thought he was shooting at a swan


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Parting Glass - a well-known Irish tune which my singers always love


Raggle-Taggle Gypsies - a story about a young bride who abandons her wealthy new husband to go off with the gypsies. A catchy melody!


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She Moved Through the Fair - this sounds happy, but it is actually a bit of a love story, and a bit of a ghost story!


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Star of the County Down - LOTS of fun to sing and play!  An excellent ensemble piece


Waltzing Matilda - an unusually pretty melody from Australia; you know this one!  Very popular with kids


The Water is Wide - a very pretty song about disappointed love.  You might have sung this one in high school!


The Wellerman - a sea chanty that is very singable, and very fun!


White, Orange and Green - though not widely known, this charming melody about fighting for the right to carry the flag of Ireland has stirring lyrics and soaring phrases. A favorite of my vocal & guitar students.  I never get tired of this song. 

Interested in songs from the Bible for your students or church?  Check out my other website, SingTheBibleStory.com!

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Comments

Music has such power to move the heart... do you have a story or a question about this music?

What Other Visitors Have Said

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Not all Burns Not rated yet
I think we should stop saying this is by Robert Burns. The music is apparently by Diack, so it should say "by Robert Burns (lyrics) and John Michael Diack …

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About the Author

Dana Thynes

Hi, I'm Dana!  (Say that like "Anna".)  I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.

Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.

You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.