HAD I THE WYTE.

Oh, haud your tongue now,

Luckie Laing,

Oh, haud your tongue and jauner;

I held the gate till you I met,
Syne I began to wander :

I tint my whistle and my sang,
I tint my peace and pleasure;
But your green graff, now, Luckie Laing,
Wad airt me to my treasure.

HAD I THE WYTE.

HADI the wyte, had I the wyte,

Had I the wyte ?-she bade me ;
She watch'd me by the hie-gate side,
And up the loan she shaw'd me;
And when I wadna venture in,
A coward loon she ca'd me ;
Had kirk and state been in the gate,
I lighted when she bade me.

Sae craftilie she took me ben,
And bade me make nae clatter;

"For our ramgunshoch, glum guidman
Is o'er ayont the water:

Whae'er shall say I wanted grace,
When I did kiss and dawt her,
Let him be planted in my place,
I was a fautor.

Syne say

Could I for shame, could I for shame,
Could I for shame refuse her?

And wadna manhood been to blame
Had I unkindly used her?

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224

HEE BALOU.

He claw'd her wi' the ripplin-kame,
And blae and bluidy bruised her;
When sic a husband was frae hame,
What wife but wad excused her?

I dighted aye her een sae blue,
And bann'd the cruel randy;
And weel I wat her willing mou'
Was e'en like sugar-candy.
At gloamin'-shot it was, I trow,
I lighted on the Monday;
But I cam through the Tysday's dew,
To wanton Willie's brandy.

HEE BALOU.

Picture o' the great Clanronald;

Brawlie kens our wanton chief
Wha got my young Highland thief.

Leeze me on thy bonnie craigie,
An' thou live, thou'lt steal a naigie :
Travel the country through and through,
And bring hame a Carlisle cow.

Through the Lawlands, o'er the Border,
Weel, my baby, may thou furder:
Herry the louns o' the laigh countrie,
Syne to the Highlands hame to me.

HERE'S TO THY HEALTH.

HER DADDIE FORBAD.

HForbidden she wadna be:

ER daddie forbad, her minnie forbad;

She wadna trow't the browst she brew'd
Wad taste sae bitterlie.

The lang lad they ca' Jumpin' John
Beguiled the bonnie lassie ;
The lang lad they ca' Jumpin' John
Beguiled the bonnie lassie.

A cow and a calf, a ewe and a hauf,
And thretty guid shillin's and three;
A very guid tocher, a cottar-man's dochter,
The lass wi' the bonnie black e'e.

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HERE'S TO THY HEALTH, MY BONNIE LASS.

Guid night, and joy be wi' thee;

I'll come nae mair to thy bower-door,
To tell thee that I lo'e thee.
Oh, dinna think, my pretty pink,

But I can live without thee:

I vow and swear I dinna care,
How lang ye look about ye.

Thou'rt aye sae free informing me
Thou hast nae mind to marry;
I'll be as free informing thee
Nae time hae I to tarry.

226

HEY, THE DUSTY MILLER.

I ken thy friends try ilka means
Frae wedlock to delay thee;
Depending on some higher chance-
But Fortune may betray thee.

I ken they scorn my low estate,
But that does never grieve me;
But I'm as free as any he,

Sma' siller will relieve me.

I'll count my health my greatest wealth,
Sae lang as I'll enjoy it :

I'll fear nae scant, I'll bode nae want,
As lang's I get employment,

But far-off fowls hae feathers fair,

And aye until ye try them :

Though they seem fair, still have a care,

They may prove waur than I am.

But at twal at night, when the moon shines bright,

My dear, I'll come and see thee;

For the man that lo'es his mistress weel,

Nae travel makes him weary.

HEY, THE DUSTY MILLER.

HAnd his dusty coat;

[EY, the dusty miller,

He will win a shilling
Or he spend a groat.
Dusty was the coat,
Dusty was the colour,
Dusty was the kiss

I got frae the miller.

THE JOYFUL WIDOWER.

Hey, the dusty miller,
And his dusty sack;
Leeze me on the calling
Fills the dusty peck.
Fills the dusty peck,
Brings the dusty siller;
I wad gie my coatie
For the dusty miller.

I

THE CARDIN' O'T.

COFT a stane o' haslock woo,
To mak a coat to Johnny o't;
For Johnny is my only jo,
I lo'e him best of ony yet.

The cardin' o't, the spinnin' o't,
The warpin' o't, the winnin' o't;
When ilka ell cost me a groat,

The tailor staw the linin' o't.

For though his locks be lyart grey,
And though his brow be beld aboon;

Yet I hae seen him on a day

The pride of a' the parishen.

THE JOYFUL WIDOWER.

I

MARRIED with a scolding wife,
The fourteenth of November;
She made me weary of my life
By one unruly member.

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