OLD SONGS IMPROVED BY BURNS,

FROM JOHNSON'S MUSEUM.

O WHARE DID YOU GET?

TUNE-Bonny Dundee.

[The air of Bonny Dundee appears in the Skene MS., of date circa 1620. The tune seems to have existed at even an earlier period, as there is a song to it amongst those which were written by the English to disparage the Scottish followers by whom James VI. was attended on his arrival in the south. The first of the following verses is from an old homely ditty, the second only being the composition of Burns.]

O whare did you get that hauver meal bannock?
O silly blind body, O dinna ye see?

I gat it frae a brisk young sodger laddie,
Between St Johnston and bonny Dundee.
O gin I saw the laddie that gae me 't!
Aft has he doudled me upon his knee;

May Heaven protect my bonny Scots laddie,

And send him safe hame to his babie and me!

My blessin's upon thy sweet wee lippie,

My blessin's upon thy bonny e'e-bree!

Thy smiles are sae like my blithe sodger laddie,
Thou 's aye the dearer and dearer to me!
But I'll big a bower on yon bonny banks,
Where Tay rins wimplin' by sae clear;
And I'll cleed thee in the tartan sae fine,
And mak thee a man like thy daddie dear.

I AM MY MAMMY'S AE BAIRN.
TUNE-I'm owre young to Marry yet.

I am my mammy's ae bairn,
Wi' unco folk I weary, sir;

And if I gang to your house,

I'm fleyed 'twill make me eerie, sir.
I'm owre young to marry yet;
I'm owre young to marry yet;
I'm owre young-'twad be a sin
To tak me frae my mammy yet.

afraid

Hallowmas is come and gane,

The nights are lang in winter, sir;
And you and I in wedlock's bands,
In troth, I dare na venture, sir.
Fu' loud and shrill the frosty wind
Blaws through the leafless timmer, sir;
But if ye come this gate again,
I'll aulder be gin simmer, sir.

UP IN THE MORNING EARLY.

TUNE-Cold blows the Wind.

[Written on the basis of an old song, the chorus of which is here preserved.]

CHORUS.

Up in the morning's no for me,
Up in the morning early;

When a' the hills are covered wi' snaw,

I'm sure it's winter fairly.

Cauld blaws the wind frae east to west,

The drift is driving sairly;

Sae loud and shrill I hear the blast,
I'm sure it's winter fairly.

The birds sit chittering in the thorn,
A' day they fare but sparely;
And lang's the night frae e'en to morn-
I'm sure it's winter fairly.

THERE WAS A LASS.

TUNE-Duncan Davison.

There was a lass, they ca'd her Meg,
And she held o'er the moors to spin;

There was a lad that followed her,

They ca'd him Duncan Davison.

The moor was dreigh, and Meg was skeigh, tedious-timorous
Her favour Duncan could na win;

For wi' the rock she wad him knock,
And aye she shook the temper-pin.

As o'er the moor they lightly foor,

A burn was clear, a glen was green,
Upon the banks they eased their shanks,
And aye she set the wheel between:

went

But Duncan swore a haly aith,

That Meg should be a bride the morn,
Then Meg took up her spinnin' graith,
And flang them a' out o'er the burn.

We'll big a house-a wee, wee house,
And we will live like king and queen,
Sae blithe and merry we will be

When ye set by the wheel at e'en.
A man may drink and no be drunk ;
A man may fight and no be slain;
A man may kiss a bonny lass,
And aye be welcome back again.

LADY O N LIE.

TUNE-The Ruffian's Rant.

A' the lads o' Thornie-bank,

When they gae to the shore o' Bucky,
They 'll step in and tak a pint
Wi' Lady Onlie, honest Lucky!
Lady Onlie, honest Lucky!

Brews guid ale at shore o' Bucky;
I wish her sale for her guid ale,
The best on a' the shore o' Bucky.

Her house sae bien, her curch sae clean,
I wat she is a dainty chucky;
And cheerlie blinks the ingle-gleed
Of Lady Onlie, honest Lucky!
Lady Onlie, honest Lucky!

Brews guid ale at shore o' Bucky;
I wish her sale for her guid ale,
The best on a' the shore o' Bucky.

THE PLOUGHMAN.

The ploughman he's a bonny lad,
His mind is ever true, jo,

His garters knit below his knee,

His bonnet it is blue, jo.

Then up wi 't a', my ploughman lad,
And hey my merry ploughman;

Of a' the trades that I do ken,
Commend me to the ploughman.

I hae been east, I hae been west,
I hae been at St Johnston;
The bonniest sight that e'er I saw,
Was the ploughman laddie dancin'.
Up wi't, &c.

Snaw-white stockins on his legs,
And siller buckles glancin';
A guid blue bonnet on his head,
And oh, but he was handsome.
Up wi't, &c.

[Of this piece, the two last verses only are by Burns. them, reference may be made to the Museum.]

For the longer song, including

16

SIMMER'S A PLEASANT TIME.

TUNE-Aye Waukin O.

Simmer's a pleasant time,

Flowers of every colour;

The water rins o'er the heugh,

And I long for my true lover.

'Hoggie, a young sheep after it is smeared, and before it is first shorn.'--STENHOUSE.

2 Full of stunted bushes.

[This is an old song, upon which Burns appears to have made only a few alterations.]