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| THE LAIRD o’ Cockpen, he’s proud and he’s great | |
| His mind is ta’en up wi’ things o’ the State: | |
| He wanted a wife, his braw house to keep; | |
| But favour wi’ wooin’ was fashious 1 to seek. | |
| |
| Down by the dyke 2-side a lady did dwell; | 5 |
| At his table-head he thought she’d look well— | |
| McClish’s ae 3 daughter o’ Clavers-ha’ Lee, | |
| A penniless lass wi’ a lang pedigree. | |
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| His wig was weel pouther’d 4 and as gude as new; | |
| His waistcoat was white, his coat it was blue; | 10 |
| He put on a ring, a sword, and cocked hat,— | |
| And wha could refuse the Laird wi’ a’ that! | |
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| He took the grey mare, and rade cannily, 5 | |
| And rapped at the yett 6 o’ Clavers-ha’ Lee: | |
| ‘Gae tell Mistress Jean to come speedily ben,— | 15 |
| She’s wanted to speak to the Laird o’ Cockpen.’ | |
| |
| Mistress Jean was makin’ the elder-flower wine: | |
| ‘And what brings the Laird at sic a like time?’ | |
| She put aff her apron and on her silk goun, | |
| Her mutch 7 wi’ red ribbons and gaed awa doun. | 20 |
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| And when she cam’ ben he bowed fu’ low; | |
| And what was his errand he soon let her know. | |
| Amazed was the Laird when the lady said ‘Na’;— | |
| And wi’ a laigh 8 curtsey she turn’d awa’. | |
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| Dumfounder’d was he; but nae sigh did he gi’e, | 25 |
| He mounted his mare, and rade cannily; | |
| And aften he thought as he gaed through the glen, | |
| ‘She’s daft 9 to refuse the Laird o’ Cockpen!’ | |
| |
| And now that the Laird his exit had made, | |
| Mistress Jean she reflected on what she had said; | 30 |
| ’Oh, for ane I’ll get better its waur 10 I’ll get ten, | |
| I was daft to refuse the Laird o’ Cockpen.’ | |
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| Next time that the Laird and the lady were seen, | |
| They were gaun arm-in-arm to the kirk on the green; | |
| Now she sits in the ha’ like a weel-tappit hen, | 35 |
| But as yet there’s nae chickens appeared at Cockpen. | |
