Kinloch Manuscripts, VII, 143, from the recitation of Jenny
Watson, 24 April, 1826; Clydesdale.
| 1 |
It was on a day whan a lovely may
Was cawing out her father's kye,
And she spied a troop o' gentlemen,
As they war passing bye. |
| 2 |
'O show me the way, my pretty maid,
O show me the way,' said he;
'My steed has just now rode wrong,
And the way I canna see.' |
| 3 |
'O haud you on the same way,' she said,
'O haud ye on't again,
For, if ye haud on the king's hieway,
Rank rievers will do ye na harm.' |
| 4 |
He took her by the milk-white hand,
And by the gerss-green sleeve,
And he has taiglet wi the fair may,
And of her he askd na leave. |
| 5 |
Whan ance he got her gudwill,
Of her he craved na mair,
But he poud out a ribbon frae his pouch,
And snooded up the may's hair. |
| 6 |
He put his hand into his pouch,
And gave her guineas three:
'If I come na back in twenty weeks,
Ye need na look mair for me.' |
| 7 |
But whan the may did gang hame,
Her father did her blame;
'Whare hae ye been now, dame?' he said
'For ye've na been your lane.' |
| 8 |
'The nicht is misty and mirk, father,
Ye may come to the door and see;
The nicht is misty and mirk, father,
And there's na body wi me. |
| 9 |
'But there cam o tod to your flock, father,
The like o him I never saw;
Or he had tane the lambie that he had,
I wad rather he had tane them aw. |
| 10 |
'But he seemd to be a gentleman,
Or a man of some pious degree;
For whanever he spak, he lifted up his hat,
And he had [a] bonnie twinkling ee.' |
| 11 |
Whan twenty weeks were come and gane,
Twenty weeks and three,
The lassie began to grow thick in the waist,
And thoucht lang for his twinkling ee. |
| 12 |
It fell upon a day whan bonnie may
Was cawing out the kye,
She spied the same troop o gentlemen,
As they war passing bye. |
| 13 |
'O well may you save, my pretty may,
Weill may you save and see!
Weill may ye save, my lovely may!
Go ye wi child to me?' |
| 14 |
But the may she turnd her back to him,
She begoud to think meikle shame;
'Na, na, na, na, kind sir,' she said,
'I've a gudeman o my ain.' |
| 15 |
'Sae loud as I hear ye lie, fair may,
Sae loud as I hear ye lee!
Dinna ye mind o yon misty nicht
Whan I was in the bucht wi thee?' |
| 16 |
He lichted aff his hie, hie horse,
And he set the bonnie may on:
'Now caw out your kye, gud father,
Ye maun caw them out your lone. |
| 17 |
'For lang will ye caw them out,
And weary will ye be,
Or ye get your dochter again
. . . |
| 18 |
He was the laird o Ochiltree,
Of therty ploughs and three,
And he has stown awa the loveliest may
In aw the south cuntree. |
