The Canongate Burns (136 page)

I coft a stane o' haslock woo,
bought, 14lbs, soft wool

       To mak a wab to Johnie o't;
web

For Johnie is my onlie jo,
darling

       I lo'e him best of onie yet. —
love, any

Chorus

5
The cardin o't, the spinnin o't,

       The warpin o't, the winnin o't;
rolling, drying

When ilka ell cost me a groat,
each yard, fourpence

       The tailor staw the lynin o't. —
stole

For tho' his locks be lyart gray,
withered

10
        And tho' his brow be beld aboon,
bald above

Yet I hae seen him on a day
have

       The pride of a' the parishon. —
parish around

              The cardin o't &c.

Tibbie Fowler o' the glen,

       There's o'er mony wooin at her,
chasing after

Tibbie Fowler o' the glen,

       There's o'er mony wooin at her.
too many

Chorus

5
Wooin at her, pu'in at her,
pulling

       Courtin at her, canna get her:
cannot

Filthy elf, it's for her pelf,
money

       That a' the lads are wooin at her.
all

Ten cam east, and ten cam west,
came

10
       Ten cam rowin o'er the water;

Twa came down the lang dyke side,
two, long wall

       There's twa and thirty wooin at her.
two

              Wooin at her, &c.

There's seven but, and seven ben,
outside, inside

       Seven in the pantry wi' her;

15
Twenty head about the door,
at

       There's ane and forty wooin at her.
one

              Wooin at her &c.

She's got pendles in her lugs,
pendants, ears

       Cockle-shells wad set her better;
would suit

High-heel'd shoon and siller tags,
shoes, silver

20
        And a' the lads are wooin at her.

              Wooin at her &c.

Be a lassie e'er sae black,
ever so

       An she hae the name o' siller,
have, money

Set her upo' Tintock-tap,
hill top

       The wind will blaw a man till her.
blow, to her

              Wooing at her &c.

25
Be a lassie e'er sae fair,
ever so

       And she want the pennie siller,
lack silver

A flie may fell her in the air,
fly, kill

       Before a man be even till her.

              Wooin at her &c.

There's three true gude fellows,
good

There's three true gude fellows,

There's three true gude fellows

       Down ayont yon glen.
beyond that

It's now the day is dawin,
dawning

But or night do fa' in,
before nightfall

Whase cock's best at crawin,
whose, crowing

       Willie thou sall ken.
shall know

WHEN Januar wind was blawin cauld,
blowing cold

       As to the North I took my way,

The mirksome night did me enfauld,
darksome, enfold

       I knew na where to lodge till day.
not

5
By my gude luck a maid I met
good

       Just in the middle o' my care;

And kindly she did me invite

       To walk into a chamber fair. —

I bow'd fu' low unto this maid,
full/well

10
       And thank'd her for her courtesie;

I bow'd fu' low unto this maid,

       An' bade her mak a bed to me. —

She made the bed baith large and wide,
both

       Wi' twa white hands she spread it down;
two

15
She put the cup to her rosy lips,

       And drank, ‘Young man now sleep ye soun'.' —
sound

She snatch'd the candle in her hand,

       And frae my chamber went wi' speed;
from

But I call'd her quickly back again

20
       To lay some mair below my head.—
more

A cod she laid below my head,
pillow

       And servèd me with due respeck;
respect

And to salute her wi' a kiss,

       I put my arms about her neck.—

25
Haud aff your hands young man, she says,
hold off

       And dinna sae uncivil be:
do not so

Gif ye hae onie luve for me,
if, have any

       O wrang na my virginitie!—
wrong not

Her hair was like the links o' gowd,
gold

30
       Her teeth were like the ivorie,

Her cheeks like lilies dipt in wine,

       The lass that made the bed to me. —

Her bosom was the driven snaw,
snow

       Twa drifted heaps sae fair to see;
two, so

35
Her limbs the polish'd marble stane,
stone

       The lass that made the bed to me.—

I kiss'd her o'er and o'er again,

       And ay she wist na what to say;
knew not

I laid her 'tween me an' the wa',
wall

40
       The lassie thocht na lang till day.—
thought it not long

Upon the morrow when we rase,

       I thank'd her for her courtesie:

But ay she blush'd, and ay she sigh'd,

       And said, Alas, ye've ruin'd me. —

45
I clasp'd her waist, and kiss'd her syne,
then

       While the tear stood twinklin in her e'e;
eye

I said, My lassie, dinna cry,
do not

       For ye ay shall mak the bed to me.—
always

She took her mither's holland sheets
mother's, fine linen

50
       An' made them a' in sarks to me:
shirts

Blythe and merry may she be,

       The lass that made the bed to me. —

The bonie lass made the bed to me,

       The braw lass made the bed to me; fine

55
I'll ne'er forget till the day I die

       The lass that made the bed to me. —

O SAD and heavy should I part,

       But for her sake sae far awa;
so, away

Unknowing what my way may thwart,

       My native land sae far awa.—

5
Thou that of a' things Maker art,
all

       That formed this Fair sae far awa,

Gie body strength, then I'll ne'er start
give

       At this my way sae far awa.

How true is love to pure desert,

10
       So love to her, sae far awa,

And nocht can heal my bosom's smart,
nothing

       While Oh, she is sae far awa.—

Nane other love, nane other dart,
no

       I feel, but hers sae far awa;
so

15
But fairer never touched a heart,

       Than hers, the Fair sae far awa.—

WAP and row, wap and row,
wrap, roll

       Wap and row the feetie o't,
feet

I thought I was a maiden fair,

       Till I heard the greetie o't.
crying

My daddie was a Fiddler fine,

       My minnie she made mantie O;
mother, a dress maker

And I myself a thumpin quine,
strapping lassie

       And danc'd the Reel o' Stumpie O.

Aften hae I play'd at the cards and the dice,
often have

        For the love of a rantin laddie;

But now I maun sit at my father's kitchen neuk,
must, corner

        Below a bastart babie.—

5
For my father he will not me own,

        And my mother she neglects me,

And a' my friends hae lightlyed me,
have slandered

        And their servants they do slight me.—

But had I a servant at my command,

10
        As aft-times I've had many,
oft-

That wad rin wi' a letter to bonie Glenswood,
would run

        Wi' a letter to my rantin laddie.—

Oh, is he either a laird, or a lord,

        Or is he but a cadie,
rascal

15
That ye do him ca' sae aft by name,
call so often

        Your bonie, bonie rantin ladie.—

Indeed he is baith a laird and a lord,
both

        And he was never a cadie;
rascal

But he is the Earl o' bonie Aboyne,

20
        And he is my rantin laddie.—

O ye 'se get a servant at your command,

        As aft times ye've had many,
oft

That sall rin wi' a letter to bonie Glenswood,
shall run

        A letter to your rantin laddie.—

25
When lord Aboyne did letter get,

        O but he blinket bonie;
glanced well

But or he read three lines of it,
by the time

        I think his heart was sorry.—

O wha is he daur be sae bauld, who,
dare, so bold

30
        Sae cruelly to use my lassie?
so

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For her father he will not her know

        And her mother she does slight her,

35
And a' her friend hae lightlyed her,
have slandered

        And their servants they neglect her.—

Go raise to me five hundred men,

        Make haste and make them ready;

With a milkwhite steed under every ane, one

40
        For to bring hame my lady.— home

As they cam in thro Buchan shire,

        They were a company bonie,

With a gude claymore in every hand,
good

        And O, but they shin'd bonie.—
shone