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I
THE GARDENER stands in his bower-door, | |
| With a primrose in his hand, | |
| And by there came a leal maiden | |
| As jimp as a willow wand. | |
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II
‘O lady, can you fancy me, | 5 |
| For to be my bride? | |
| Ye’se get a’ the flowers in my garden | |
| To be to you a weed. | |
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III
‘The lily white sall be your smock | |
| Becomes your body best; | 10 |
| Your head sall be busk’d wi’ gillyflower | |
| And the primrose in your breast. | |
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IV
‘Your gown sall be the sweet-william, | |
| Your coat the camovine, | |
| Your apron a’ the salluds neat | 15 |
| That taste baith sweet and fine. | |
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V
‘Your stockings sall be o’ the braid kail-blade, | |
| That is baith braid and lang; | |
| And narrow, narrow at the cute, | |
| And braid, braid at the brawn. | 20 |
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VI
‘Your gloves sall be the marigold, | |
| All glittering to your hand, | |
| Well spread o’er wi’ the blue blaewort | |
| That grows amang corn-land.’— | |
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VII
‘O fare ye well, young man,’ she says, | 25 |
| ‘Farewell, and I bid adieu; | |
| If you can fancy me,’ she says, | |
| ‘O I cannot fancy you. | |
| |
VIII
‘Sin ye’ve provided a weed for me | |
| Amang the summer flowers, | 30 |
| Then I’se provide anither for you | |
| Amang the winter showers.— | |
| |
IX
‘The new-fa’n snaw to be your smock | |
| Becomes your body best; | |
| An’ your head sall be wound wi’ the eastern wind, | 35 |
| An’ the cauld rain on your breast.’ | |
| | | GLOSS: leal] true. jimp] slender. weed] clothing. camovine] camomile. cute] ankle. brawn] calf. blaewort] corn bluebottle. |
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