Page:The Book of Scottish Song.djvu/550

532 There I'll despise imperial charms,

An empress or sultana,

While flying raptures, in her arms,

I give and take from Anna.

Awa', thou flaunting god of day!

Awa', thou pale Diana!

Ilk star gae hide thy twinkling ray,

When I'm to meet my Anna.

Come, in thy raven plumage, night,

Sun, moon, and stars, withdrawn a';

And bring an angel pen to write

Wy transports wi' my Anna.

[ is the name of a tune of considerable antiquity. O'Keefe adopts it for one of his songs in his still popular musical afterpiece called "The Highland Reel," first acted in 1788. His song begins, "Boys, when I play, cry, O Crimini." The old words to the tune, we imagine, are lost, but the following song probably embraces a portion of them, or at least the spirit of them. It was written by, who served his apprenticeship as a music-engraver, to Johnson, the publisher of the Museum, in which work the song appears.]

I were fairly shot o' her!

Fairly, fairly, fairly shot o' her!

O gin I were fairly shot o' her!

If she were dead, I wad dance on the top o' her!

Till we were married, I cottldna see licht till her;

For a month after, a' thing aye gaed richt wi' her:

But these ten years I ha'e prayed for a wright to her—

O gin I were fairly shot o' her!

Nane o' her relations or friends could stay wi' her:

The neebours and balms are fain to flee frae her:

And I my ain sel' am forced to gi'e way till her:

Oh gin I were fairly shot o' her!

She gangs aye sae braw, she's sae muckle pride in her;

There's no a gudewife in the haill country-side like her:

Wi' dress and wi' drink, the deil wadna bide wi' her:

Oh gin I were fairly shot o' her!

If the time were but come that to the kirk-gate wi' her,

And into the yird I'd mak' mysel' quit o' her,

I'd then be as blythe as first when I met wi' her.

Oh gin I were fairly shot o' her!

[ happy Bacchanalian ditty is an old song, amended by Burns for Johnson's Museum. In Cromek's Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song, another version is given, which is said to be the "original of Burns's," but, of course, it is merely a fabrication by Allan Cunningham. The song is adapted to an old tune called "The Bottom of the Punchbowl." In some collections we see it marked to the tune of "The Happy Farmer," but whether these are different tunes or different names of the same tune we cannot say.]

ale comes, and gude ale goes;

Gude ale gars me sell my hose,

Sell my hose, and pawn my shoon;

Gude ale keeps my heart aboon.

I had sax owsen in a pleuch,

And they drew teuch and weel eneuch:

I drank them a' just ane by ane;

Gude ale keeps my heart aboon.

Gude ale hauds me bare and busy,

Gars me moop wi' the servant hizzie,

Stand i' the stool, when I ha'e done;

Gude ale keeps my heart aboon.

O gude ale comes, and gude ale goes;

Gude ale gars me sell my hose,

Sell my hose, and pawn my shoon;

Gude ale keeps my heart aboon.

[.—Air, "The Siller Crown."—First published as a single sheet song by Napier, and afterwards inserted in the third volume of Johnson's Museum.]

ye shall walk in silk attire,

And siller ha'e to spare,

Gin ye'll consent to be his bride,

Nor think o' Donald mair.