But fairer never touch'd a heart Than her's, the Fair, sae far awa. I DO CONFESS THOU ART SAE FAIR I DO Alteration of an Old Poem. confess thou art sae fair, I wad been o'er the lugs in luve, Had I na found the slightest prayer That lips could speak thy heart could muve. I do confess thee sweet, but find Thou art so thriftless o' thy sweets, Thy favours are the silly wind. See yonder rosebud, rich in dew, Sic fate ere lang shall thee betide, Tho' thou may gaily bloom awhile; LINES ON FERGUSSON, THE POET O why should truest Worth and Genius pine THE WEARY PUND O' TOW I think my wife will end her life, I BOUGHT MY wife a stane o' lint, And a' that she has made o' that There sat a bottle in a bole, Beyont the ingle low; And aye she took the tither souk, The weary pund, &c. Quoth I, For shame, ye dirty dame, The weary pund, &c. At last her feet-I sang to see't! Gaed foremost o'er the knowe, And or I wad anither jad, I'll wallop in a tow. The weary pund, &c. WHEN SHE CAM' BEN SHE BOBBED O WHEN she cam' ben she bobbed fu' law, O when she cam' ben she bobbed fu' law, And when she cam' ben, she kiss'd Cockpen, And syne denied she did it at a'. And was na Cockpen right saucy witha'? O never look down, my lassie, at a', O never look down, my lassie, at a', Thy lips are as sweet, and thy figure complete, As the finest dame in castle or ha'. Tho' thou has nae silk, and holland sae sma', Tho' thou has nae silk, and holland sae sma', Thy coat and thy sark are thy ain handiwark, And lady Jean was never sae braw. SCROGGAM, MY DEARIE She brew'd gude ale for gentlemen; The gudewife's dochter fell in a fever, The priest o' the parish he fell in anither; They laid the twa i' the bed thegither, That the heat o' the tane might cool the tither; Scroggam, my dearie, ruffum. MY COLLIER LADDIE "WHARE live ye, my bonie lass? And tell me what they ca' ye;" "My name, she says, &c. "See you not yon hills and dales The sun shines on sae brawlie; "Ye shall gang in gay attire, Weel buskit up sae gaudy; And ane to wait on every hand, "Tho' ye had a' the sun shines on, "I wad turn my back, &c. "I can win my five pennies in a day, "Love for love is the bargain for me, And fair fa' my Collier laddie!" "And the warld before me, &c. SIC A WIFE AS WILLIE HAD WILLIE WASTLE dwalt on Tweed, The spot they ca'd it Linkumdoddie; Willie was a wabster gude, Could stown a clue wi' ony body: He had a wife was dour and din, O Tinkler Maidgie was her mither; Sic a wife as Willie had, I wad na gie a button for her! She has an e'e, she has but ane, The cat has twa the very colour; Five rusty teeth, forbye a stump, A clapper tongue wad deave a miller: A whiskin beard about her mou', Her nose and chin they threaten ither; Sic a wife as Willie had, I wadna gie a button for her! She's bow-hough'd, she's hein-shin'd, To balance fair in ilka quarter: I wadna gie a button for her! Auld baudrons by the ingle sits, An' wi' her loof her face a-washin; She dights her grunzie wi' a hushion; I wadna gie a button for her! LADY MARY ANN O LADY Mary Ann looks o'er the Castle wa', O father, O father, an ye think it fit, Lady Mary Ann was a flower in the dew, Young Charlie Cochran was the sprout of an aik, And it will be the brag o' the forest yet. The simmer is gane when the leaves they were green, And the days are awa' that we hae seen, |