Page:The Book of Scottish Song.djvu/541

Rh Na, kind sir, I dar nae gang,

I dar nae gang, I dar nae gang;

Na kind sir, I dar nae gang,

My minny will be angry.

Sair, sair, wad she flyte,

Wad she flyte, wad she flyte;

Sair, sair, wad she flyte;

And sair wad she ban me.

[ was composed by, to the old tune of "The Birks of Abergeldy," in September, 1787, while standing under the falls of Aberfeldy, near Moness, in Perthshire.]

lassie, will ye go,

Will ye go, will ye go,

Bonnie lassie, will ye go

To the birks of Aberfeldy?

Now simmer blinks on flowery braes,

And o'er the crystal streamlet plays;

Come let us spend the lichtsome days

In the birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

While o'er their head the hazels hing,

The little burdies blythely sing,

Or lichtly flit on wanton wing,

In the birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

The braes ascend like lofty wa's,

The foamin' stream deep-roaring fa's,

O'erhung wi' fragrant spreadin' shaws,

The birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

The hoary cliffs are crown'd wi' flow'rs,

White ower the linn the burnie pours,

And, risin', weets wi' misty show'rs

The birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

Let fortune's gift at random flee,

They ne'er shall draw a wish frae me,

Supremely bless'd wi' love and thee,

In the birks of Aberfeldy.

Bonnie lassie, &c.

[ Herd's collection.]

dwall'd a man in Aberdeen,

And nowthir young nor auld was he,

He never wanted wit at will,

But wi't was ugly as can be.

Mony a lass that had the tocher

Wham the carl socht to join

Wi' him to draw the pleuch of wedlock,

Did the hatefu' task decline.

Tir'd at last wi' sharp denyals,

Straight he pass'd to sillie Meg;

She had nowthir wit nor siller,

Here, thocht he, I sall nae beg.

Save the gowd o' her fair tresses,

Bit o' gowd ne'er had the quene,

Nor ither jewels in possession,

Than the jewels o' her een.

Bot alike to her was missing

All the gowd that crouns the mynde;

Sense, that jewel o' the bosom,

She could nowthir buy nor fynde.

He came, he saw, he overcame;

The sillie mayden blush'd consent,

Hamewart as he bent his travel,

Thus he thocht on his intent.

"Though this lassie want a noddle,

I ha'e wit to make amends;

Though I'am ugly, yet her bewtie

In our bairns will serve like ends.

"Our childer, I can never doubt it,

Will comely as their mither be;

And in wit and prudence surelie

Thay will copie after me.

"Sae our race will bear perfection

Baith in bodie and in saul;

Surelie a mair happy marriage

To man's lot docht never fall."

Sae the wicht fu' fondlie dremit.

Alack the issue was far ither!

The bairnis war ugly as thair daddie,

And thay were foolish as thair mither.