Page:The Book of Scottish Song.djvu/526

508 There, what thou on earth hast given,

Doubly shall be paid again!

Lady, for the sake of Heaven,

Loose the yett, an' let me in!

Blessings rest upon thy head,

Lady of this lordly ha'!

That bright tear that thou did'st shed

Fell nae down amang the snaw!

It is gane to heaven aboon,

To the fount of charitye;

When thy days on earth are done,

That blest drop shall plead for thee.

[.]

may I rue the day

I fancied first the womenkind;

For aye sinsyne I ne'er can ha'e

Ae quiet thought or peace o' mind!

They ha'e plagued my heart an' pleased my e'e,

An' teased an' flatter'd me at will,

But aye for a' their witcherye,

The pawky things I lo'e them still.

O the women fo'k! O the women fo'k!

But they ha'e been the wreck o' me;

O weary fa' the women fo'k,

For they winna let a body be!

I ha'e thought an' thought, but darna tell,

I've studied them wi' a' my skill,

I've lo'ed them better than mysel',

I've tried again to like them ill.

Wha sairest strives, will sairest rue,

To comprehend what nae man can;

When he has done what man can do,

He'll end at last where he began.

O the women fo'k, &c.

That they ha'e gentle forms an' meet,

A man wi' half a look may see;

An' gracefu' airs, an' faces sweet,

An' waving curls aboon the bree;

An' smiles as soft as the young rose-bud,

An' e'en sae pawky, bright, an' rare,

Wad lure the laverock frae the cludd—

But, laddie, seek to ken nae mair!

O the women fo'k, &c.

Even but this night nae farther gane,

The date is neither lost nor lang,

I tak' ye witness ilka ane,

How fell they fought, and fairly dang.

Their point they've carried right or wrang,

Without a reason, rhyme, or law,

An' forced a man to sing a sang,

That ne'er could sing a verse ava.

O the women fo'k! O the women fo'k!

But they ha'e been the wreck o' me;

O weary fa' the women fo'k,

For they winna let a body be!

[.]

O,, tell the laird o't,

Or sairly it will grieve me, O,

That I'm to wake the ewes the night,

And Annie's to gang wi' me, O.

I'll wake the ewes my nicht about,

But ne'er wi' ane sae saucy, O,

Nor sit my lane the lee-lang night

Wi' sic a scornfu' lassie, O:

I'll no wake, I'll no wake,

I'll no wake wi' Annie, O;

Nor sit my lane o'er night wi' ane

Sae thraward an' uncanny, O!

Dear son, be wise an' warie,

But never be unmanly, O;

I've heard ye tell another tale

Of young an' charming Annie, O.

The ewes ye wake are fair enough,

Upon the brae sae bonny, O;

But the laird himsel' wad gi'e them a'

To wake the night wi' Annie, O.

He'll no wake, he'll no wake,

He'll no wake wi' Annie, O;

Nor sit his lane o'er night wi' ane

Sae thraward an' uncanny, O!

I tauld ye ear', I tauld ye late,

That lassie wad trapan ye, O;

An' ilka word ye boud to say

When left alane wi' Annie, O!

Take my advice this night for ance,

Or beauty's tongue will ban ye, O,

An' sey your leal auld mother's skill

Ayont the muir wi' Annie, O.