| William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Georgian Verse. 1909. | | | | Saw Ye Ne’er a Lanely Lassie? | | By Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766–1845) |
| | | SAW ye ne’er a lanely lassie, | |
| Thinkin’ gin she were a wife, | |
| The sun o’ joy wad ne’er gae down, | |
| But warm and cheer her a’ her life? | |
| Saw ye ne’er a wearie wifie, | 5 |
| Thinkin’ gin she were a lass, | |
| She wad aye be blythe and cheerie, | |
| Lightly as the day wad pass? | |
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| Wives and lasses, young and aged, | |
| Think na on each ither’s state; | 10 |
| Ilka ane it has its crosses, | |
| Mortal joy was ne’er complete. | |
| Ilka ane it has its blessings. | |
| Peevish dinna pass them bye, | |
| But like choicest berries seek them, | 15 |
| Tho’ amang the thorns they lie. | | | | |
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