| |
| WHEN the sheep are in the fauld and the kye a’ at hame, | |
| When a’ the weary world to sleep are gane, | |
| The waes o’ my heart fa’ in showers frae my e’e, | |
| While my gudeman lies sound by me. | |
| |
| Young Jamie lo’ed me weel, and sought me for his bride; | 5 |
| But saving a crown, he had naething else beside. | |
| To mak’ the crown a pound, my Jamie gaed to sea; | |
| And the crown and the pound, they were baith for me! | |
| |
| He hadna been awa’ a week but only twa, | |
| When my mither she fell sick, and the cow was stown awa; | 10 |
| My father brak his arm—my Jamie at the sea— | |
| And Auld Robin Gray came a-courtin’ me. | |
| |
| My father couldna work,—my mither couldna spin; | |
| I toiled day and night, but their bread I couldna win; | |
| And Rob maintained them baith, and, wi’ tears in his e’e, | 15 |
| Said, “Jennie for their sakes, will you marry me?” | |
| |
| My heart it said na, for I looked for Jamie back; | |
| But hard blew the winds, and his ship was a wrack; | |
| His ship was a wrack! Why didna Jamie dee? | |
| Or why was I spared to cry, Wae is me! | 20 |
| |
| My father argued sair—my mither didna speak, | |
| But she looked in my face till my heart was like to break; | |
| They gied him my hand, but my heart was in the sea; | |
| And so Auld Robin Gray, he was gudeman to me. | |
| |
| I hadna been his wife, a week but only four, | 25 |
| When, mournfu’ as I sat on the stane at the door, | |
| I saw my Jamie’s ghaist—I couldna think it he, | |
| Till he said, “I ’m come hame, love, for to marry thee!” | |
| |
| O sair, sair did we greet, and mickle did we say: | |
| Ae kiss we took—nae mair—I bad him gang away. | 30 |
| I wish that I were dead, but I ’m no like to dee, | |
| And why do I live to say, Wae is me! | |
| |
| I gang like a ghaist, and I carena to spin; | |
| I darena think o’ Jamie, for that wad be a sin. | |
| But I will do my best a gude wife aye to be, | 35 |
| For Auld Robin Gray, he is kind unto me. | |
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