Ae Fond Kiss
Karen Matheson with The Duhks and Bryan Sutton Lyrics


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Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.

Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me;
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy,
Naething could resist my Nancy:
But to see her was to love her;
Love but her, and love for ever.

Had we never lov'd sae kindly,
Had we never lov'd sae blindly,
Never met-or never parted,
We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweel alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.
I'll wage thee...




I'll wage thee...
I'll wage thee...

Overall Meaning

In "Ae Fond Kiss," Karen Matheson of The Duhks and Bryan Sutton sing about the heart-wrenching pain of parting with someone they love deeply. The lyrics express the sorrow of saying farewell to a loved one forever after sharing a bond filled with love, and hopelessness sets in as they realize they will never be able to see each other again. The imagery of the star of hope leaving him indicates that there is nothing to look forward to anymore, as he is swallowed up by darkness and despair.


Line by Line Meaning

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
A goodbye kiss to part ways;


Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
A final farewell, forever;


Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
I promise to love you amidst my broken heart;


Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.
I will fight my heartbreak with sadness and tears;


Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
For those with hope, fortune can never truly bring sorrow;


While the star of hope she leaves him?
As long as one has hope, can they really be unhappy?;


Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me;
I have lost my hope and with it, my happiness;


Dark despair around benights me.
My sadness has engulfed me, and I am in complete darkness;


I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy,
My love for you cannot be blamed as it is unrequited;


Naething could resist my Nancy:
Nothing could prevent my love for you, my dear Nancy;


But to see her was to love her;
From the moment I laid eyes on you, I was smitten with love;


Love but her, and love for ever.
I love only you and will continue to love you forever;


Had we never lov'd sae kindly,
If we had never loved each other so deeply;


Had we never lov'd sae blindly,
If our love had not been so all-consuming;


Never met-or never parted,
If we had never met or never had to part ways;


We had ne'er been broken-hearted.
We would have never experienced the pain of heartbreak;


Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Goodbye to the first and most beautiful love I have ever known;


Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Goodbye to the best and dearest love of my life;


Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
May you have all the happiness and treasures in the world;


Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!
May you find peace, enjoyment, love, and pleasure in your life!


Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
A goodbye kiss to part ways;


Ae fareweel alas, for ever!
A final farewell, forever;


Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
I promise to love you amidst my broken heart;


Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee.
I will fight my heartbreak with sadness and tears;


I'll wage thee...


I'll wage thee...


I'll wage thee...




Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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