If I wasna ettled to be ony better, Then what gars me wish ony better to be? Nae wonder the tear fa's sae fast frae my ee. Wi' the rest o' my claes I hae row'd up the ribbon, The bonnie blue ribbon that Jamie gae me; Yestreen, when he gae me't, and saw I was sabbin', I'll never forget the wae blink o' his ee. Though now he said naething but Fare ye weel, Lucy! It made me I neither could speak, hear, nor see: He could nae say mair but just, Fare ye weel, Lucy! Yet that I will mind till the day that I dee. The lamb likes the gowan wi' dew when its droukit; The bare likes the brake and the braird on the lea: But Lucy likes Jamie ;-she turn'd and she lookit, She thocht the dear place she wad never mair see. Ah, weel may young Jamie gang dowie and cheerless! THE JOLLIE BEGGAR. SUPPOSED TO BE BY KING JAMES V. TUNE-The jollie beggar. THERE was a jollie beggar, and a beggin' he was boun', And he took up his quarters into a landwart toun. And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', a-rovin' in the nicht, And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', boys, let the moon shine ne'er sae bricht: And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin'. He wad neither lie in barn, nor yet wad he in byre, The beggar's bed was made at e'en wi' gude clean strae and hay, And in ahint the ha' door, and there the beggar lay. Up rose the gude man's dochter, and for to bar the door; And there she saw the beggar, standin' i' the floor. He took the lassie in his arms, and to the bed he ran ; O, hoolie, hoolie, wi' me, sir; ye'll wauken our gude man. The beggar was a cunnin' loon, and ne'er a word he spak, Until the cock began to craw; syne he began to crack. Is there ony dowgs into this toun? maiden, tell me true. And what wad ye do wi' them, my hinnie and my dow? They'll ryve a' my meal-pocks, and do me mickle wrang. Oh, dule for the dooin' o't! are ye the puir man? Then she took up the meal-pocks, and flang them ower the wa'; The deil gae wi' the meal-pocks, my maidenhead, and a'! I took ye for some gentleman, at least the Laird o' Brodie ; Oh, dule for the doin' o't! are ye the puir bodie? He took the lassie in his arms, and gae her kisses three, And four-and-twenty hunder merks, to pay the nourice fee. He took a horn frae his side, and blew baith loud and shrill, And four-and-twenty beltit knichts came skippin' ower the hill. And he took out his little knife, loot a' his duddies fa', And he was the brawest gentleman that was amang them a'. The beggar was a clever loun, and he lap shouther-hicht, And, aye for siccan quarters as I gat yesternicht! And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', a-rovin' in the nicht, And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', boys, let the moon shine ne'er sae bricht: And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin'.* THE GABERLUNYIE MAN. SUPPOSED TO BE BY KING JAMES V. TUNE-The Gaberlunyie man. THE pawky auld carle cam ower the lee, O, wow! quo he, were I as free From Herd's Collection, 1776. He grew canty, and she grew fain ; And O! quo he, an ye were as black And awą wi' me ye should gang. Between the twa was made a plot ; And fast to the bent are they gane. She gaed to the bed where the beggar lay; Since naething's awa, as we can learn, The servant gaed where the dauchter lay: Oh, fye gar ride, and fye gar rin, Meantime, far hind out ower the lee, The prievin was gude-it pleased them baith; O, kend my minnie I were wi' you, My dear, quo he, ye're yet ower young, And carry the gaberlunyie on. Wi' cauk and keel I'll win your bread, To carry the gaberlunyie on. |