The Canongate Burns (65 page)

O when she cam ben she bobbed fu' law,
came in, bowed

O when she cam ben she bobbed fu' law;

And when she cam' ben she kiss'd Cockpen,

        And syne she deny'd she did it at a'. —
later, at all

5
And was na Cockpen right saucy witha',
not, everyone

And was na Cockpen right saucy witha',

In leaving the dochter o' a lord,
daughter

        And kissin a Collier-lassie an' a'. —

O never look down, my lassie at a',

10
O never look down, my lassie at a';

Thy lips are as sweet, and thy figure compleat,
complete

As the finest dame in castle or ha'. —
hall

Tho' thou hast nae silk and holland sae sma,
no, so small

Tho' thou hast nae silk and holland sae sma,

15
Thy coat and thy sark are thy ain handywark
shirt, own work

        And Lady Jean was never sae braw.
so fine

They snool me sair, and haud me down,
snub, sore, hold

        And gar me look like bluntie, Tam;
make, fool

But three short years will soon wheel roun',
round

        And then comes ane-and-twenty, Tam.
one-

Chorus

5
An O, for ane and twenty, Tam!
one-

        And hey, sweet ane and twenty, Tam!

I'll learn my kin a rattlin sang,
song

        An I saw ane and twenty, Tam.

A gleib o' lan', a claut o' gear,
piece, handful

10
        Was left me by my Auntie, Tam;

At kith or kin I needna spier,
need not ask

        An I saw ane and twenty, Tam.

               An' O, for ane and twenty, &c.

They'll hae me wed a wealthy coof,
have, fool

        Tho' I mysel hae plenty, Tam;
have

15
But hear'st thou, laddie, there's my loof,
hand

        I'm thine at ane and twenty, Tam!
one

               An' O, for ane and twenty, &c.

O Kenmure's on and awa, Willie,

         O, Kenmure's on and awa;
away

An' Kenmure's Lord's the bravest Lord

         That ever Galloway saw.

5
Success to Kenmure's band, Willie!

         Success to Kenmure's band,

There's no a heart that fears a Whig

         That rides by Kenmure's hand.

Here's Kenmure's health in wine, Willie,

10
         Here's Kenmure's health in wine,

There ne'er was a coward o' Kenmure's blude,
blood

         Nor yet o' Gordon's Line.

O Kenmure's lads are men, Willie,

         O Kenmure's lads are men,

15
Their hearts and swords are metal true,

         And that their faes shall ken.
foes, know

They'll live, or die wi' fame, Willie,

         They'll live, or die wi' fame,

But soon wi' sounding victorie

20
         May Kenmure's lord come hame.
home

Here's Him that's far awa, Willie,

         Here's Him that's far awa,

And here's the flower that I lo'e best,
love

         The rose that's like the snaw!
snow/white cockade

O leeze me on my spinnin-wheel,
delight me with

And leeze me on my rock and reel;
distaff

Frae tap to tae that cleeds me bien,
from, head, toe, clothes, well

And haps me fiel and warm at e'en!
covers, well, evening

5
I'll set me down, and sing and spin,

While laigh descends the summer sun,
low

Blest wi' content, and milk and meal,

O leeze me on my spinnin-wheel. —

On ilka hand the burnies trot,
either, small burns run

10
And meet below my theekit cot;
thatched cottage

The scented birk and hawthorn white
birch

Across the pool their arms unite,

Alike to screen the birdie's nest,

And little fishes' callor rest:
cool

15
The sun blinks kindly in the biel'
glimmers, shelter

Where blythe I turn my spinnin-wheel. —

On lofty aiks the cushats wail,
oaks, wood pigeons

And Echo cons the doolfu' tale;
woeful

The lintwhites in the hazel braes,
linnets, rows of

20
Delighted, rival ither's lays:

The craik amang the claver hay,
corncrake, clover

The paitrick whirrin o'er the ley,
partridge, grass land

The swallow jinkin round my shiel,
darting, sheiling

Amuse me at my spinnin-wheel. —

25
Wi' sma to sell, and less to buy,
little

Aboon distress, below envy,
above

O wha wad leave this humble state,
who would

For a' the pride of a' the Great?

Amid their flairing, idle toys,

30
Amid their cumbrous, dinsome joys,

Can they the peace and pleasure feel

Of Bessy at her spinnin-wheel!

Whare live ye, my bonie lass,
where

          And tell me how they ca' ye?
what, call

My name, she says, is Mistress Jean,

          And I follow the Collier laddie.

My name, she says, is Mistress Jean,

         
And I follow the Collier laddie.

5
See you not yon hills and dales

          The sun shines on sae brawlie?
so finely

They a' are mine and they shall be thine,

          Gin ye'll leave your Collier laddie.
if

They a' are mine &c.

Ye shall gang in gay attire,
go/dress

10
          Weel buskit up sae gaudy;
well dressed so splendidly

And ane to wait on every hand,
one/servants

          Gin ye'll leave your Collier laddie.
if

And ane to wait &c.

Tho' ye had a' the sun shines on,

          And the earth conceals sae lowly;
so

15
I wad turn my back on you and it a',
would

          And embrace my Collier laddie.

I wad turn my &c.

I can win my five pennies in a day

          An' spen ‘t at night fu' brawlie;
full/wel
l

And make my bed in the Collier's neuk,
corner

20
          And lie down wi' my Collier laddie.

And make my bed &c.

Loove for loove is the bargain for me,
love

          Tho' the wee Cot-house should haud me;
hold

And the warld before me to win my bread,
world

          And fair fa' my collier laddie!
blessings on

And the warld before &c.

The noble Maxwels and their powers

          Are coming o'er the border,

And they'll gae big Terreagles' towers
go build

          And set them a' in order:

5
And they declare, Terreagles fair,

          For their abode they chuse it;

There's no a heart in a' the land
not

          But 's lighter at the news o't. —

Tho' stars in skies may disappear,

10
          And angry tempests gather;

The happy hour may soon be near

          That brings us pleasant weather:

The weary night o' care and grief

          May hae a joyfu' morrow,
have

15
So dawning day has brought relief,

          Fareweel our night o' sorrow. —
farewell

In simmer, when the hay was mawn,
summer, mown

         And corn wav'd green in ilka field,
every

While claver blooms white o'er the lea,
clover, grass lands

         And roses blaw in ilka bield;
blow, shelter

5
Blythe Bessie, in the milking shiel
hut

         Says, I'll be wed, come o't what will;

Out spake a dame in wrinkled eild,
age

         O' gude advisement comes nae ill.
good, no

Its ye hae wooers mony ane,
have, many a one

10
         And lassie, ye're but young, ye ken;
know

Then wait a wee, and cannie wale,
while, cautious chose

         A routhie butt, a routhie ben:
well-stocked kitchen, parlour

There Johnie o' the Buskieglen,

         Fu' is his barn, fu' is his byre;
full

15
Tak this frae me, my bonie hen,
take, from

         It 's plenty beets the luver's fire.
fans

For Johnie o' the Buskieglen,

         I dinna care a single flie;
do not

He lo'es sae weel his craps and kye,
so well, crops, cattle

20
         He has nae loove to spare for me:
no

But blythe's the blink o' Robie's e'e,
eye

         And weel I wat he lo'es me dear;
well, know

Ae blink o' him I wad na gie
one, would not give

         For Buskieglen and a' his gear.
possessions

25
O thoughtless lassie, life's a faught,
struggle

         The canniest gate, the strife is sair;
prudent way, sore/harsh

But ay fu'-han't is fechtin best,
full-handed, fighting

         A hungry care's an unco care:
heavy

But some will spend, and some will spare,

30
         An' wilfu' folk maun hae their will;
shall have

Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair,
while/thus

         Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill.
must, ale

O gear will buy me rigs o' land,
wealth

         And gear will buy me sheep and kye;
cattle

35
But the tender heart o' leesome loove,
gladsome

         The gowd and siller canna buy:
gold, coins cannot

We may be poor, Robie and I,

         Light is the burden Loove lays on;

Content and Loove brings peace and joy,

40
         What mair hae queens upon a throne.
more have