| |
| THERE ance was a may, and she lo’ed na men; | |
| She biggit her bonnie bow’r doun in yon glen; | |
| But now she cries, Dool, and a well-a-day! | |
| Come doun the green gait and come here away! | |
| |
| When bonnie young Johnnie cam owre the sea, | 5 |
| He said he saw naething sae lovely as me; | |
| He hecht me baith rings and mony braw things— | |
| And werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee. | |
| |
| He had a wee titty that loe’d na me, | |
| Because I was twice as bonny as she; | 10 |
| She raised sic a pother ’twixt him and his mother | |
| That werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee. | |
| |
| The day it was set, and the bridal to be: | |
| The wife took a dwam and lay doun to dee; | |
| She maned and she graned out o’ dolour and pain, | 15 |
| Till he vow’d he never wad see me again. | |
| |
| His kin was for ane of a higher degree, | |
| Said—What had he do wi’ the likes of me? | |
| Appose I was bonnie, I wasna for Johnnie— | |
| And werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee. | 20 |
| |
| They said I had neither cow nor calf, | |
| Nor dribbles o’ drink ring through the draff, | |
| Nor pickles o’ meal rins thro’ the mill e’e— | |
| And werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee. | |
| |
| His titty she was baith wylie and slee: | 25 |
| She spied me as I cam owre the lea; | |
| And then she ran in, and made a loud din— | |
| Believe your ain e’en, and ye trow not me. | |
| |
| His bonnet stood ay fu’ round on his brow, | |
| His auld ane look’d ay as well as some’s new | 30 |
| But now he lets ’t wear ony gait it will hing, | |
| And casts himself dowie upon the corn bing. | |
| |
| And now he gaes daund’ring about the dykes, | |
| And a’ he dow do is to hund the tykes: | |
| The live-lang nicht he ne’er steeks his e’e— | 35 |
| And werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee. | |
| |
| Were I but young for thee, as I hae been, | |
| We should hae been gallopin’ doun on yon green, | |
| And linkin’ it owre the lily-white lea— | |
| And wow, gin I were but young for thee! | 40 |
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