Page:The Book of Scottish Song.djvu/596

578

[ by, who calls it in his Tea Table Miscellany "The Auld Man's best argument." It is sung to the tune of "Widow, are waking?" the beginning of an old licentious song.]

that at my chamber-door?

"Fair widow, are ye waking?"

Auld carle, your suit give o'er,

Your love lyes a' in tawking.

Gi'e me the lad that's young and tight,

Sweet like an April meadow;

'Tis sic as he can bless the sight,

And bosom of a widow.

"O widow, wilt thou let me in

I'm pawky, wise and thrifty,

And come of a right gentle kin;

I'm little more than fifty."

Daft carle, dit your mouth,

What signifies how pawky,

Or gentle born ye be,—bot youth,

In love you're but a gawky.

"Then, widow, let these guineas speak,

That powerfully plead clinkan,

And if they fail my mouth I'll steek,

And nae mair love will think on."

These court indeed, I maun confess,

I think they make you young, sir,

And ten times better can express

Affection, than your tongue, sir.

me not, inconstant fair,

Of being false to thee,

For I was true, would still been so,

Had'st thou been true to me:

But when I knew thy flighted lips

Once to a rival's prest,

Love-smother'd independence rose,

And spurn'd thee from my breast.

The fairest flow'r in nature's field

Conceals the rankling thorn;

So thou, sweet flow'r! as false as fair,

This once kind heart hast torn:

'Twas mine to prove the fellest pangs

That slighted love can feel;

'Tis thine to weep that one rash act,

Which bids this long farewell.

[ tune called "John, come kiss me now," is of great antiquity, but the words to which it was originally sung, with the exception of the chorus, seem to be lost. At the Reformation, an endeavour was made by the more zealous of the clergy to give a spiritual meaning to the songs in popular use, and thus to convert profane or licentious rhymes into holy hymns. Among the songs so metamorphosed was "John, come kiss me now;" and we quote a verse of it in its spiritualized garb, to show the daring and unscrupulous lengths which the early reformers could go in combining familiar images with sacred. The effect is startling.

Johne, cum kiss me now,

Johne, cum kiss me now;

Johne, cum kiss me by and by,

And make no more adow.

The Lord thy God I am,

That John dois thee call;

Johne represents man

By grace celestiall, &c.

The following fragment appears in Herd's Collection, and seems to be all that remains of the original song.]

, come kiss me now, now, now,

O John come kiss me now,

John come kiss me by and by,

And make nae mair ado.

Some will court and compliment,

And make a great ado,

Some will make of their goodman,

And sae will I of you.

John, come kiss, &c.