Meg was meek, and Meg was mild, Whistle o'er the lave o't. How we live, my Meg and me, TO DAUNTON ME. Chiefly by Burns. THE bluid-red rose at Yule may blaw, For a' his meal, for a' his maut, For a' his fresh beef and his saut, For a' his gowd and white monie, An auld man shall never daunton me. His gear may buy him kye and yowes, For an auld man shall never daunton me. He hirples twa-fauld, as he dow, Wi' his teethless gab and auld bauld pow, And the rain rins doun frae his red-blear'd ee: That auld man shall never daunton me. The original of this song will be found among "Hogg's Jacobite Relics." The subject is a favourite one with the early and later Scottish song-writers. DUNCAN Gray cam' here to woo, Ha, ha, the wooing o't, On blythe Yule night when we were fu', Ha, ha, the wooing o't, Maggie coost her head fu' high, Look'd asklent and unco skeigh, Gart poor Duncan stand abeigh, Ha, ha, the wooing o't. Duncan fleech'd, and Duncan pray'd, Ha, ha, the wooing o't; Ha, ha, the wooing o't. Duncan sigh'd baith out and in, Grat his een baith bleer't and blin', Spak o' lowpin o'er a linn, Ha, ha, the wooing o't. Time and chance are but a tide, Ha, ha, the wooing o't; Slighted love is sair to hide, Ha, ha, the wooing o't. Shall I, like a fool, quoth he, Ha, ha, the wooing o't. How it comes let doctors tell, Ha, ha, the wooing o't; Meg grew sick as he grew well, Ha, ha, the wooing o't. Something in her bosom wrings, And, oh, her een they speak sic things! Duncan was a lad o' grace, Ha, ha, the wooing o't; Maggie's was a piteous case, Ha, ha, the wooing o't: Duncan could na be her death, Swelling pity smoor'd his wrath; Now they're crouse and canty baith, Ha, ha, the wooing o't. Founded upon an old and licentious ballad of the same name, but having nothing in common with it but the chorus and the title. "Duncan Gray," says Burns to Thomson, "is that kind of light-horse gallop of an air which precludes sentiment. The ludicrous is its ruling feature." "Duncan," says Thomson in reply, "is a lad of grace, and his humour will endear him to every body." The Hon. A. Erskine, in a letter to the poet, says, "Duncan Gray possesses native genuine humour. 'Spak o' lowpin o'er a linn,' is a line that of itself should make you immortal." CONTENTIT WI' LITTLĖ. BURNS. Air-"Lumps o' pudding." CONTENTED wi' little and cantie wi' mair, I whyles claw the elbow o' troublesome thought; But man is a sodger, and life is a faught: My mirth and good humour are coin in my pouch, A towmond o' trouble, should that be my fa', Blind chance, let her snapper and stoyte on her way; LAST MAY A BRAW WOOER. BURNS. Air-"The Lothian lassie." LAST May a braw wooer came down the lang glen, I said there was naething I hated like men : He spak o' the darts in my bonnie black een, I said he might die when he liked for Jean: A weel-stockit mailin, himsel' for the laird, I never loot on that I kend it or cared; But thought I might hae waur offers, waur offers; But what wad ye think? in a fortnight or less- He up the lang loan to my black cousin Bess: Guess ye how, the jaud! I could bear her, could bear her; Guess ye how, the jaud! I could bear her! But a' the neist week, as I fretted wi' care, I glower'd as I'd seen a warlock, a warlock; But owre my left shouther I ga'e him a blink, My wooer he caper'd as he'd been in drink, And vow'd I was his dear lassie, dear lassie ; I speir'd for my cousin fu' couthy and sweet, And how my auld shoon fitted her shachlet feet; He begg'd, for gudesake, I wad be his wife, to-morrow; GREEN GROW THE RASHES O! BURNS. GREEN grow the rashes O, Green grow the rashes 0; The sweetest hours that e'er I spent There's nought but care on ev'ry han', |