Page:The Book of Scottish Song.djvu/306

288 O! ance, and I could little think

A lot sae hard would e'er be thine,

As thus a mother's tears to drink!

For, baby, thou hast drunk o' mine,

Rest, lovely babe, &c.

O smile, my babe! for sic a smile

Thy father aye put on to me;

O smile, my babe, and look the while,

For thou look'st wi' thy father's e'e.

Rest, lovely babe, &c.

O that this widow'd heart would beat

Till thou in years hadst upward grown,

That I might learn thy future fate,

Nor leave thee in the world alone.

Rest, lovely babe, &c.

ye come to woo me, Tam,

Dinna at the window tap,

Or cough, or hem, or gi'e a clap,

To let my father hear, man:

He's auld and fail'd and wants his sleep,

Sae by the hallan saftly creep,

Ye needna watch, and glowr, and peep,

I'll meet you, never fear, man.

If a lassie ye wad win,

Be cheerfu' ever, bashifu' never;

Ilka Jock may get a Jean,

If he has sense to try, man.

Whene'er we at the market meet,

Dinna look like ane hauf daft,

Or talk about the cauld an heat,

As ye were weather-wise, man.

Haud up your head, and bauldly speak,

And keep the blushes frae your cheek,

For he wha has his tale to seek,

We lasses a' despise, man.

If a lassie, &c.

I met you lately a' your lane,

Ye seem'd like ane stown frae the dead,

Your teeth e'en chattered in your head,

But ne'er a word o' love, man;

I spak', ye look'd anither way,

Then trembled as ye'd got a flay,

And owre your shouther cried, "gude day,"

Nor ance to win me strave, man.

If a lassie, &c.

My aunty left me threescore poun',

But deil a ane o' a' the men

Till then did bare-legg'd Elspa ken,

Or car'd a strae for me, man;

Now tugging at me soon and late.

They're cleeking but the yellow bait.

Sae mind me, Tam, I needna wait,

When I ha'e choice o' three, man.

If a lassie, &c.

There lives a lad owre yonder muir,

He has nae faut but ane—he's puir;

Whene'er we meet, wi' kisses sweet

He's like to be my death, man:

And there's a lad ahint yon trees,

Wad waud for me aboon the knees;

Sae tell your mind, or, if you please,

Nae langer fash us baith, man.

If a lassie, &c.

green the fields, the flowers so fair,

How bright the sun, that o'er us passes,

How useless these if that there were

Nae honest men, nor bonnie lassies.

Honest men and bonnie lasses,

Honest men and bonnie lasses,

Lang may live and happy be,

A' honest men and bonnie lasses.

God's noblest work's an honest man,

A bonnie lass by far's the fairest,

Of all that's fair in nature's plan,

And e'er to man will be the dearest.

Honest men, &e.

How happy, and how blest the man,

His days or nights can ne'er be dreary,

Who calls an honest man his friend,

And has a bonnie lass for's deary.

Honest men and bonnie lasses,

Honest men and bonnie lasses,

A' they wish and a' they want,

To honest men and bonnie lasees.