Wi' sma' to sell, and less to buy,
Aboon distress, below envy,
O wha wad leave this humble state,
For a' the pride of a' the great?
Amid their flaring, idle toys,
Amid their cumbrous, dinsome joys,
Can they the peace and pleasure feel
Of Bessy at her spinning wheel?
IN simmer when the hay was mawn,
And corn wav'd green in ilka field,
While claver blooms white o'er the lea,
And roses blaw in ilka bield :
Blithe Bessie in the milking shiel,
Says, I'll be wed, come o't what will;
Out spak a dame in wrinkled eild,
O guid advisement comes nae ill.
Its ye hae wooers monie ane,
And lassie, ye're but young ye ken;
Then wait a wee, and cannie wale,
A routhie butt, a routhie ben:
There's Johnie o' the Buskie-glen,
Fu' is his barn, fu' is his byre;
Tak this frae me, my bonie hen,
It's plenty beets the luver's fire.
For Johnie o' the Buskie-glen,
I dinna care a single flie;
He lo'es sae weel his craps and kye,
He has no luve to spare for me:
But blithe's the blink o' Robie's e'e,
And weel I wat he lo'es me dear:
Ae blink o' him I wad nae gie
For Buskie-glen and a' his gear.
O thoughtless lassie, life's a faught;
The canniest gate, the strife is sair;
But ay fu' han't is fechtin best,
A hungry care's an unco care:
But some will spend, and some will spare,
An' wilfu' folk maun hae their will;
Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair,
Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill.
O, gear will buy me rigs o' land,
And gear will buy me sheep and kye;
But the tender heart o' leesome love,
The gowd and siller canna buy:
We may be poor-Robie and I,
Light is the burden love lays on; Content and luve brings peace and joy, What mair hae queens upon a throne?
My heart is a breaking, dear Tittie,
Some counsel unto me come len',
To anger them a' is a pity;
But what will I do wi' Tam Glen?
I'm thinking, wi' sic a braw fellow,
In poortith I might make a fen';
What care I in riches to wailow,
If I maun marry Tam Glen?
There's Lowrie the laird o' Drumeller,
"Guid day to you, brute," he comes ben: He brags an' he blaws o' his siller,
But when will he dance like Tam Glen?
My minnie does constantly deave me,
And bids me beware o' young men ;
They flatter, she says, to deceive me;
But wha can think sae o' Tam Glen?
My daddie says, gin I'll forsake him,
He'll gie me guid hunder marks ten;
But, if it's ordain'd I maun tak him,
O wha will I get but Tam Glen?
Yestreen at the Valentine's dealing,
My heart to my mou gied a sten;
For thrice I drew ane without failing,
And thrice it was written Tam Glen.
The last Halloween I was waukin
My droukit sark-sleeve, as ye ken; His likeness cam up the house staukin, And the very grey breeks o' Tam Glen! Some counsel, dear Tittie, don't tarry; I'll gie you my bonie black hen, Gif ye will advise me to marry The lad I lo'e dearly, Tam Glen.
AN O, for ane-and-twenty, Tam!
An hey, sweet ane-and-twenty, Tam!
I'll learn my kin a rattlin sang,
An I saw ane-and-twenty, Tam!
They snool me sair, and haud me down,
And gar me look like bluntie, Tam!
But three short years will soon wheel roun',
And then comes ane-and-twenty, Tam!
An O, &c.
A gleib o' lan', a claut o' gear,
Was left me by my auntie, Tam!
At kith or kin I need na spier,
An I saw ane-and-twenty, Tam.
An O, &c.
They'll hae me wed a wealthy coof,
Tho' I mysel' hae plenty, Tam!
But hear'st thou, laddie, there's my loof,
I'm thine at ane-and-twenty, Tam..
An O, &c.
My heart is sair, I dare na tell,
My heart is sair for somebody:
I could wake a winter night
For the sake o' somebody.
Oh-hon! for somebody!
Oh-hey! for somebody!
I could range the world around,
For the sake o' somebody.
Ye powers that smile on virtuous love,
O, sweetly smile on somebody!
Frae ilka danger keep him free,
And send me safe my somebody.
Oh-hon! for somebody!
Oh-hey! for somebody!
I wad do--what wad I not?-
For the sake o' somebody!
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