O' sottish loons ye're the pink and pearl, pink and pear Ill-far'd, doited ne'er-do-weel. Hech, gudewife! ye're a flyting body, flyting body: Will ye hae; but, guid be praised, the wit ye want. The puttin' cow should be aye a doddy, aye a doddy. Mak na sic an awsome reel. Ye're a sow, auld man : To your wame, auld man: A plack to cleid your back and pow. It's your tea, gude wife. Ye spend a', gudewife. Ye like the drap fu' weel yoursell. Ye's rue, auld gowk, your jest and frolic, jest and frolic. Troth, gudewife, an' ye wadna swither, wadna swither, Time it is to gree, I trow. I'm wrang, auld John: We hae fought, gude John; Let's help to bear ilk ither's weight, Ye're richt, gude Kate; AGAIN REJOICING NATURE SEES. BURNS. TUNE-Johnnie's Grey Breeks. AGAIN rejoicing nature sees In vain to me the cowslips blaw; The mavis and the lintwhite sing. The merry ploughboy cheers his team; A dream of ane that never wauks. The wanton coot the water skims ; The shepherd steeks his faulding slaps, And when the lark, 'tween light and dark, B And mounts and sings on fluttering wings, Come, Winter, with thine angry howl, SIR WALTER SCOTT. A WEARY lot is thine, fair maid, To pull the thorn thy brow to braid, A doublet of the Lincoln green,— No more of me you knew. This morn is merry June, I trow, He turn'd his charger as he spake, He gave his bridle-reins a shake, Said, Adieu for evermore, And adieu for evermore. In most editions of the author's works, this fine song is printed with the following absurd chorus, which was part of a song written by one of his friends: And maun I still on Menie doat, And bear the scorn that's in her ee?! FARE YE WEEL, MY AULD WIFE. AND fare ye weel, my auld wife; Sing bum, bee, berry, bum; Fare ye weel, my auld wife, And fare ye weel, my pike-staff; Fare ye weel, my pike-staff; Fare ye weel, my pike-staff, Wi' you nae mair my wife I'll baff; The maut's abune the meal the nicht, Wi' some, smoe, some.* O FOR ANE AND TWENTY, TAM. BURNS. TUNE-The Mowdiwart. AND oh, for ane and twenty, Tam! I'll learn my kin a rattlin' sang, Gin I saw ane and twenty, Tam. They snool me sair, and haud me down, * From Lawrie and Symington's Collection, 1792. A gleib o' lan', a claut o' gear, Gin I saw ane and twenty, Tam. They'll hae me wed a wealthy coof, ALAS, MY SON, YOU LITTLE KNOW. MISS JENNY GRAHAM. * TUNE-Bide ye yet. ALAS, my son, you little know When you have gotten a wife to please. Your experience is but small, Sometimes the rock, sometimes the reel, When I, like you, was young and free, *A maiden lady, who died at an advanced age, at Dumfries, towards the elose of the last century. |