I held her to my beating heart,
My young, my smiling lammie;
I hae a house, it cost me dear,
I've walth o'plenishen and gear;
Ye'se get it a', were't ten times mair,
The smile ga'ed aff her bonny face-
I mauna leave my mammy;
She's gien me meet, she's gien me claise,
She's been my comfort a' my days;
My father's death brought monny waes:
I canna leave my mammy.
We'll tak her hame and mak her fain,
My ain kind-hearted lammie;
We'll gie her meet, we'll gie her claise,
We'll be her comfort a' her days.
The wee thing gies her hand and says,
There, gang and ask my mammy.
Has she been to the kirk wi' thee,
My boy Tammy?—
She has been to the kirk wi' me,
And the tear was in her ee:
For, oh, she's but a young thing,
Just come frae her mammy!
HECTOR MACNEIL. Air-" Bonnie Dundee."
"SAW ye my wee thing? saw ye my ain thing?
Saw ye my true-love down on yon lea?
Cross'd she the meadow yestreen at the gloamin?
Sought she the burnie whar flow'rs the haw-tree?
Her hair it is lint-white, her skin it is milk-white;
Dark is the blue o' her saft-rolling ee;
Red, red her ripe lips, and sweeter than roses ;
Whar could my wee thing wander frae me ?”
"I saw nae your wee thing, I saw nae your ain thing,
Na saw I your true-love down on yon lea;
But I met my bonnie thing late in the gloamin
Down by the burnie whar flow'rs the haw-tree.
Her hair it was lint-white, her skin it was milk-white;
Dark is the blue o' her saft-rolling ee;
Red were her ripe lips, and sweeter than roses;
Sweet were the kisses that she gae to me!"
"It was na my wee thing, it was na my ain thing,
It was na my true-love ye met by the tree:
Proud is her lael heart, and modest her nature;
She never lo'ed onie till ance she lo'ed me.
Her name it is Mary; she's frae Castle-Cary;
Aft has she sat, when a bairn, on my knee;
Fair as your face is, war't fifty times fairer,
Young braggart, she ne'er would gie kisses to thee!"
"It was then your Mary; she's frae Castle-Cary; It was then your true-love I met by the tree; Proud as her heart is, and modest her nature,
Sweet were the kisses that she ga'e to me." Sair gloom'd his dark brow-blood-red his cheek grew— Wild flash'd the fire frae his red-rolling ee: "Ye'se rue sair this morning your boasts and your scorning: Defend ye, fause traitor! fu' loudly ye lee!"
"Awa wi' beguiling!" cried the youth, smiling;
Aff went the bonnet, the lint-white locks flee;
The belted plaid fa'ing, her white bosom shawing,
Fair stood the loved maid wi' the dark-rolling ee!
"Is it my wee thing? is it mine ain thing?
Is it my true-love here that I see ?"-
"Oh, Jamie, forgive me; your heart's constant to me;
I'll never mair wander, dear laddie, frae thee !"
HECTOR MACNEIL. Air-" Johnnie McGill."
"COME under my plaidie, the night's gaun to fa';
Come in frae the cauld blast, the drift, and the snaw:
Come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me;
There's room in't, dear lassie, believe me, for twa.
Come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me;
I'll hap ye frae every cauld blast that can blaw:
Come under my plaidie, and sit down beside me ;
There's room in't, dear lassie, believe me, for twa.”
"Gae 'wa wi' yere plaidie, auld Donald, gae 'wa;
I fear na the cauld blast, the drift, nor the snaw:
Gae 'wa wi' yere plaidie, I'll no sit beside ye;
Ye micht be my gutcher; auld Donald, gae 'wa.
I'm gaun to meet Johnnie-he's young and he's bonnie;
He's been at Meg's bridal, fou trig and fou braw ;
Nane dances sae lichtly, sae gracefu', sae tichtly,
His cheek's like the new rose, his brow's like the snaw."
"Dear Marion, let that flee stick fast to the wa';
Your Jock's but a gowk, and has naething ava;
The haill o' his pack he has now on his back;
He's thretty, and I am but three-score and twa.
Be frank now and kindly-I'll busk ye aye finely;
To kirk or to market there few gang sae braw;
A bien house to 'bide in, a chaise for to ride in,
And flunkies to 'tend ye as aft as ye ca'."
"My father aye tell'd me, my mither and a',
Ye'd make a gude husband, and keep me aye braw;
It's true I lo'e Johnnie, he's young and he's bonnie;
But, wae's me, I ken he has naething ava!
I hae little tocher-ye've made a gude offer;
I'm now mair than twenty-my time is but sma'!
Sae gi'e me your plaidie, I'll creep in beside ye;
I thocht ye'd been aulder than three-score and twa!"
She crap in ayont him, beside the stane wa',
Whare Johnnie was listenin', and heard her tell a':
The day was appointed;-his proud heart it dunted,
And strak 'gainst his side as if burstin' in twa.
He wander'd hame weary, the nicht it was dreary,
And thowless he tint his gate 'mang the deep snaw:
The howlet was screeming; while Johnnie cried, "Women
Wad marry auld Nick if he'd keep them aye braw!
Oh, the deil's in the lassies! they gang now sae braw;
They'll lie down wi' auld men o' threescore and twa;
The haill o' their marriage is gowd and a carriage;
Plain love is the cauldest blast now that can blaw.
Auld dotards, be wary, tak' tent when ye marry;
Young wives wi' their coaches, they'll whip and they'll ca',
Till they meet wi' some Johnnic that's youthfu' and bonnie,
And they'll gie ye horns on ilk haffit to claw."
DINNA THINK, BONNIE LASSIE.
ANONYMOUS, but attributed to Hector Macneil, though not included by him in the collection of his works. The first stanza is a fragment of an older composition.
OH, dinna think, bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave thee;
Dinna think, bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave thee;
Dinna think, bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave thee;
I'll tak' a stick into my hand, and come again and see thee.
Far's the gate ye ha'e to gang, dark's the night and eerie ;
Far's the gate ye ha'e to gang, dark's the night and eerie ;
Far's the gate ye ha'e to gang, dark's the night and eerie;
Oh, stay this night wi' your love, and dinna gang and leave me.
It's but a night and hauf a day that I'll leave my dearie;
But a night and hauf a day that I'll leave my dearie;
But a night and hauf a day that I'll leave my dearie;
Whene'er the sun gaes west the loch, I'll come again and see thee.
Dinna gang, my bonnie lad, dinna gang and leave me;
Dinna gang, my bonnie lad, dinna gang and leave me ;
When a' the lave are sound asleep, I am dull and eerie ;
And a' the lee-lang night I'm sad wi' thinking on my dearie.
Oh, dinna think, bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave thee;
Dinna think, bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave thee;
Dinna think, bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave thee;
Whene'er the sun gaes out o' sight, I'll come again and see thee.
Waves are rising o'er the sea, winds blaw loud and fear me;
Waves are rising o'er the sea, winds blaw loud and fear me
While the winds and waves do roar I am wae and drearie;
And gin ye lo'e me as ye say, ye winna gang and leave me.
Oh, never mair, bonnie lassie, will I gang and leave thee;
Never mair, bonnie lassie, will I gang and leave thee;
Never mair, bonnie lassie, will I gang and leave thee;
E'en let the world gang as it will, I'll stay at hame and cheer thee.
Frae his hand he coost his stick—I winna gang and leave thee
Threw his plaid into the neuk-Never can I grieve thee;
Drew off his boots, and flang them by; cried, My lass, be cheerie ;
I'll kiss the tear frae aff thy cheek, and never leave my dearie,
DR. WEBSTER. First printed in the "Scots Magazine," 1747.
OH, how could I venture to love one like thee,
And you not despise a poor conquest like me;
On lords, thy admirers, could look wi' disdain,
And knew I was naething, yet pitied my pain!
You said, while they teased you with nonsense and dress,
When real the passion, the vanity's less;
You saw through that silence which others despise,
And while beaux were a talking, read love in my eyes.
Oh, how shall I fauld thee, and kiss a' thy charms,
Till, fainting wi' pleasure, I die in your arms;
Through all the wild transports of ecstasy tost,
Till, sinking together, together we're lost!
Oh, where is the maid that like thee ne'er can cloy,
Whose wit can enliven each dull pause of joy ;
And when the short raptures are all at an end,
From beautiful mistress turn sensible friend?
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