| |
| THERE was ance a may, and she lo’ed na men; | |
| See biggit her bonnie bouir doun i’ yon glen; | |
| But now she cries Dule and a well-a-day! | |
| Come doun the green gate and come here away. | |
| |
| When bonnie young Johnnie cam’ ower the sea | 5 |
| He said he saw naething sae bonnie as me; | |
| He hecht me baith rings and monie braw things; | |
| And werena my heart licht I wad dee. | |
| |
| He had a wee tittie that lo’ed na me, | |
| Because I was twice as bonnie as she; | 10 |
| She raised sic a pother ’twixt him and his mother, | |
| That werena my heart 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 vowed that he ne’er wad see me again. | |
| |
| His kin was for ane o’ a higher degree, | |
| Said, what had he to do wi’ the like o’ me? | |
| Albeit I was bonnie I wasna for Johnnie: | |
| And werena my heart licht I wad dee. | 20 |
| |
| They said I had neither cow nor calf, | |
| Nor dribbles o’ drink rins through the draff, | |
| Nor pickles o’ meal rins through the mill-e’e; | |
| And werena my heart licht I wad dee. | |
| |
| His tittie she was baith wily and slee, | 25 |
| She spied me as I cam’ ower the lea, | |
| And then she ran in and made a loud din; | |
| Believe your ain een an ye trow na me. | |
| |
| His bannet stood aye fu’ round on his brow— | |
| His auld ane looked aye as weel as some’s new; | 30 |
| But now he lets ’t wear ony gate it will hing, | |
| And casts himsel’ dowie upon the corn-bing. | |
| |
| And now he gaes drooping 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 licht I wad dee. | |
| |
| Were I young for thee as I ha’e been | |
| We should ha’e been gallopin’ doun on yon green, | |
| And linkin’ it on the lily-white lea; | |
| And wow gin I were but young for thee! | 40 |
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