| 1 |
There was a jolly beggar, and a begging he was bound,
And he took up his quarters into a landart town.
Fa la la, etc. |
| 2 |
He wad neither ly in barn, nor yet wad he in byre,
But in ahint the ha-door, or else afore the fire. |
| 3 |
The beggar's bed was made at een wi good clean straw and hay,
And in ahint the ha-door, and there the beggar lay. |
| 4 |
raise the goodman's dochter, and for to bar the door,
And there she saw the beggar standin i the floor. |
| 5 |
He took the lassie in his arms and to the bed he ran,
'O hooly, hooly wi me, sir! ye'll waken our goodman.' |
| 6 |
The beggar was a cunnin loon, and neer a word he spake
Until he got his turn done, syne he began to crack. |
| 7 |
'Is there ony dogs into this town? maiden, tell me true.'
'And what wad ye do wi them, my hinny and my dow?' |
| 8 |
'They'll rive a' my mealpocks, and do me meikle wrang.'
'O dool for the doing o't! are ye the poor man?' |
| 9 |
Then she took up the mealpocks and flang them oer the wa:
'The d–l gae wi the mealpocks, my maidenhead and a'! |
| 10 |
'I took ye for some gentleman, at least the Larid of Brodie;
O dool for the doing o't! are ye the poor bodie?' |
| 11 |
took the lassie in his arms and gae her kisses three,
And four-and-twenty hunder merk to pay the nurice-fee. |
| 12 |
He took a horn frae his side and blew baith loud and shrill,
And four-and-twenty belted knights came skipping oer the hill. |
| 13 |
And he took out his little knife, loot a' his duddies fa,
And he was the brawest gentleman that was amang them a'. |
| 14 |
The beggar was a cliver loon and he lap shoulder height:
'O ay for sicken quarters as I gat yesternight!' |
