THE BRIDE she is winsome and bonny, | |
| Her hair it is snooded sae sleek, | |
| And faithfu’ and kind is her Johnny, | |
| Yet fast fa’ the tears on her cheek. | |
| New pearlins 1 are cause of her sorrow, | 5 |
| New pearlins and plenishing too; | |
| The bride that has a’ to borrow | |
| Has e’en right mickle ado. | |
| Woo’d and married and a’! | |
| Woo’d and married and a’! | 10 |
| Is na’ she very weel aff | |
| To be woo’d and married at a’? | |
| |
| Her mither then hastily spak, | |
| “The lassie is glaikit 2 wi’ pride; | |
| In my pouch I had never a plack | 15 |
| On the day when I was a bride. | |
| E’en tak to your wheel and be clever, | |
| And draw out your thread in the sun; | |
| The gear that is gifted it never | |
| Will last like the gear that is won. | 20 |
| Woo’ed and married and a’! | |
| Wi’ havins and tocher 3 sae sma’! | |
| I think ye are very weel aff | |
| To be woo’d and married at a’.” | |
| |
| “Toot, toot,” quo’ her grey-headed faither, | 25 |
| “She ’s less o’ a bride than a bairn, | |
| She ’s ta’en like a cout 4 frae the heather, | |
| Wi’ sense and discretion to learn. | |
| Half husband, I trow, and half daddy, | |
| As humour inconstantly leans, | 30 |
| The chiel maun be patient and steady | |
| That yokes wi’ a mate in her teens. | |
| A kerchief sae douce 5 and sae neat | |
| O’er her locks that the wind used to blaw! | |
| I ’m baith like to laugh and to greet | 35 |
| When I think of her married at a’!” | |
| |
| Then out spak the wily bridegroom, | |
| Weel waled 6 were his wordies, I ween, | |
| “I ’m rich, though my coffer be toom, 7 | |
| Wi’ the blinks o’ your bonny blue een. | 40 |
| I ’m prouder o’ thee by my side | |
| Though thy ruffles or ribbons be few, | |
| Than if Kate o’ the Croft were my bride | |
| Wi’ purfles and pearlins enow. | |
| Dear and dearest of ony! | 45 |
| Ye ’re woo’d and buikit and a’! | |
| And do ye think scorn o’ your Johnny, | |
| And grieve to be married at a’?” | |
| |
| She turned, and she blushed, and she smiled, | |
| And she looked sae bashfully down; | 50 |
| The pride o’ her heart was beguiled, | |
| And she played wi’ the sleeves o’ her gown. | |
| She twirled the tag o’ her lace, | |
| And she nipped her boddice sae blue, | |
| Syne 8 blinket sae sweet in his face, | 55 |
| And aff like a maukin 9 she flew. | |
| Woo’d and married and a’! | |
| Wi’ Johnny to roose her and a’! | |
| She thinks hersel very weel aff | |
| To be woo’d and married at a’! | 60 |
