The sparrow-hawk is in the air, The corbie-craw is on the sweep; An' ye be wise, ye'll bide at hame, And never cheep, and never cheep. The robin came to the wren's nest, I saw ye thick wi' wee Tam-tit, Ye cuttie quean, yé cuttie quean. The ruddie feathers frae my breast Thy nest hae lined, thy nest hae lined; Now wha will keep ye frae the blast, And winter wind, and winter wind? IT'S GUDE TO BE MERRY AND WISE. It's gude to be merry and wise, I daut wi' young Jess o' the glen. A man mayna marry but ane, Though he may gang courting wi twae; I've had fifteen loves in my time, And fifteen more I may hae. The black are maist loving and kind, And the white they may go to the devil. The maids of our city are vain, Proud, peevish, and pale i' the hue; But the lass frae the grass and the gowans Is sweet as a rose in the dew. O, where the streams sing in the woods, I've come to a gallant resolve, I've said it, and sung it, and sworn, I shall woo by the register book, And begin wi' Peg Purdie the morn. COMING THROUGH THE RYE. Jenny's a' wat poor lassie, She's draggled a' her petticoat, Nae moon was shining in the lift, And ne'er a body nigh; What gaur'd ye weet yere petticoat, Gin a body meet a body Gin a body meet a body I loe a bonnie lad o'er weel [An amended copy of an old song, with innumerable variations. The above version is from Allan Cunningham's Songs of Scotland ;some of the improvements are by Burns.] MY LOVER HAS LEFT ME. My lover has left me, He has gowd, he has mailens- But whether I win him, Or wear him, or no, I can give a sigh for him, His flocks may all perish, Then his new love will leave him Is worse than a thief. A thief will but rob me, Brings ane to their grave: And bring me to dust— May woman ne'er trust! [From Johnson's Musical Museum, vol. ii. 1788. This is an amended copy from Johnson's, which Dr. Blacklock furnished in a very incomplete state.] OUR GUDEMAN CAME HAME AT E'EN. Our gudeman came hame at e'en, And there he saw a saddle-horse, Where nae horse should be: How can this be? How came this horse here Without the leave o' me? A horse! quo' she,-aye, a horse, quo' he. A milk cow! quo' he,-aye, a milk cow, quo' she. Far hae I ridden, And meikle hae I seen, But a saddle on a milk-cow Our gudeman came hame at e'en, And he spied a pair of jack-boots What's this I see? How came thae boots here Without the leave o' me? Boots! quo' she,―aye, boots! quo' he. Ye auld blind dotard carle, And waur may ye see, It's but a pair o' water stoups My minnie sent to me. Milking-pails? quo' he,—aye, milking-pails! quo' she. Far hae I ridden, And muckle hae I seen, But siller spurs on milking-pails Saw I never nane. Our gudeman came hame at e'en, And there he saw a siller sword Where nae sword should be: |