On the fourteenth of May at the dawn of the day,
With my gun on my shoulder to the woods I did stray,
In search of some game if the weather proved fair,
To see could I get a shot at the bonny black hare.
Oh, I met a young girl there with her face as a rose,
And her skin was as fair as the lily that blows,
I says My fair maiden, why ramble you so?
Can you tell me where the bonny black hare do go?
Oh, the answer she gave me, her answer was No,
But it's under me apron they say it do go,
And if you'll not deceive me I vow and declare,
We'll both go together to hunt the bonny black hare.
Well, I laid this girl down with her face to the sky,
And I took out my ramrod and my bullets likewise,
I says Lock your legs round me and dig in with your heels,
For the closer we get, oh, the better it feels.
The birds they were singing in the bushes and trees,
And the song that they sang was Oh, she's easy to please.
I felt her heart quiver and I knew what I'd done,
Says I Have you had enough of my old sporting gun?
Oh, the answer she gave me, her answer was Nay,
It's not often young sportsmen like you come this way,
And if your powder is willing and your bullets play fair,
Why don't you keep firing at the bonny black hare?
Oh, my powder is wasted and my bullets all gone,
My ramrod is limp and I cannot fire on,
But I'll be back in the morning and if you are still here,
We'll both go together to hunt the bonny black hare.
