| |
| IT was on a morn, when we were thrang, | |
| The kirn it croon’d, the cheese was making, | |
| And bannocks on the girdle baking, | |
| When ane at the door chapp’t loud and lang. | |
| |
| Yet the auld gudewife and her mays sae tight, | 5 |
| Of a’ this bauld din took sma’ notice I ween; | |
| For a chap at the door in braid day-light, | |
| Is no like a chap that’s heard at e’en. | |
| |
| But the docksy auld laird of the Warlock glen, | |
| Wha waited without, half blate, half cheery, | 10 |
| And lang’d for a sight o’ his winsome deary, | |
| Raised up the latch, and cam’ crousely ben. | |
| |
| His coat it was new, and his o’erlay was white, | |
| His mittens and hose were cozie and bien; | |
| But a wooer that comes in braid day-light, | 15 |
| Is no like a wooer that comes at e’en. | |
| |
| He greeted the carline and lasses sae braw, | |
| And his bare lyart pow, sae smoothly he straikit, | |
| And he looket about, like a body half glaikit, | |
| On bonny sweet Nanny, the youngest of a’. | 20 |
| |
| “Ha, laird!” quo’ the carline, “and look ye that way? | |
| Fy, let na’ sic fancies bewilder you clean: | |
| An elderlin man, in the noon o’ the day, | |
| Should be wiser than youngsters that come at e’en.” | |
| |
| “Na, na,” quo’ the pawky auld wife, “I trow, | 25 |
| You’ll no’ fash your head wi’ a youthfu’ gilly, | |
| As wild and as skeigh as a muirland filly; | |
| Black Madge is far better and fitter for you.” | |
| |
| He hem’d and he haw’d, and he drew in his mouth, | |
| And he squeezed the blue bannet his twa hands between, | 30 |
| For a wooer that comes when the sun’s i’ the south, | |
| Is mair landward than wooers that come at e’en. | |
| |
| “Black Madge is sae carefu’”—“What’s that to me?” | |
| “She’s sober and eydent, has sense in her noddle: | |
| She’s douce and respeckit.” “I care na’ a bodle: | 35 |
| Love winna be guided, and fancy’s free.” | |
| |
| Madge toss’d back her head wi’ a saucy slight, | |
| And Nanny, loud laughing, ran out to the green; | |
| For a wooer that comes when the sun shines bright | |
| Is no like a wooer that comes at e’en. | 40 |
| |
| Then away flung the laird, and loud mutter’d he, | |
| “A’ the daughters of Eve, between Orkney and Tweed, O! | |
| Black or fair, young or auld, dame or damsel or widow, | |
| May gang in their pride to the de’il for me!” | |
| |
| But the auld gudewife and her mays sae tight | 45 |
| Cared little for a’ his stour banning, I ween; | |
| For a wooer that comes in braid day-light, | |
| Is no like a wooer that comes at e’en. | |
| |
