Ed de Moel

Child Ballads - Lyrics

Child 33
Kempy Kay
Version E

Campbell Manuscripts, II, 122.

Narrative

1   'Gud een, gud een,' says Chickmakin,
'Ye're welcome here,' says Drowsy Lane;
'I'm comd to court your daughter Jean,
And marry her wi yer will, a wee.'
2   'My daughter Jean's a thrifty lass,
She's spun these seven lang years to me,
And gin she spin another seven,
She'll munt a half an heir, a wee.'
3   Drowsy Lane, it's he's gane hame,
And keekit through the hole, a wee
And there he saw his daughter Jean
A reeking oer the coal. a wee
4   'Get up, get up, ye dirty bitch,
And wash yer foul face clean,
For they are to be here the night
That should hae been here yestreen.'
5   Up she rose, pat on her clothes,
She's washen her foul face clean;
She cursed the hands, she ban'd the feet,
That wadna bring the water in.
6   She rubbit hersel, she scrubbit hersel,
Wi the side of a rustit pan, a wee,
And in a little came Chickmakin,
A braw young lad indeed was he.
7   His teeth they were like tether-steeks,
His nose was five feet lang;
Between his shoulders was nine yards broad,
And between his een a span.
8   Ilka hair into his head
Was like a heather-cowe,
And ilka louse that lookit out
Was like a brookit ewe.
9   Thae twa kissd and thae twa clapt,
And thae twa kissd their fill,
And aye the slaver between them hang
Wad tetherd a ten-pund bull.
10   They twa kissd and they twa clapt,
And they gaed to their bed, a wee,
And at their head a knocking stane
And at their feet a mell, a wee.
11   The auld wife she lay in her bed:
'And gin ye'll do my bidding a wee,
And gin ye'll do my bidding,' quoth she,
'Yees whirl her oer the lea, a wee.'

This page most recently updated on 05-Mar-2011, 16:13:41.
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