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A Scottish Song
BALOW, my babe, ly stil and sleipe! | |
| It grieves me sair to see thee weipe; | |
| If thoust be silent, Ise be glad, | |
| Thy maining maks my heart ful sad. | |
| Balow, my boy, thy mither’s joy! | 5 |
| Thy father breides me great annoy. | |
| Balow, my ’babe, ly stil and sleipe! | |
| It grieves me sair to see thee weipe. | |
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| When he began to court my luve, | |
| And with his sugred words to muve, | 10 |
| His faynings fals and flattering cheire | |
| To me that time did not appeire: | |
| But now I see, most cruell hee, | |
Cares neither for my babe nor mee.
Balow, etc. | |
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| Ly stil, my darlinge, sleipe awhile, | 15 |
| And when thou wakest sweitly smile: | |
| But smile not, as thy father did, | |
| To cozen maids; nay, God forbid! | |
| But yette I feire, thou wilt gae neire, | |
Thy fatheris hart and face to beire.
Balow, etc. | 20 |
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| I cannae chuse, but ever will | |
| Be luving to thy father stil: | |
| Whaireir he gae, whaireir he ryde, | |
| My luve with him maun stil abyde: | |
| In weil or wae, whaireir he gae, | 25 |
Mine hart can neir depart him frae.
Balow, etc. | |
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| But doe not, doe not, prettie mine, | |
| To faynings fals thine hart incline; | |
| Be loyal to thy luver trew, | |
| And nevir change hir for a new; | 30 |
| If gude or faire, of hir have care, | |
For womens banning ’s wonderous sair.
Balow, etc. | |
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| Bairne, sin thy cruel father is gane, | |
| Thy winsome smiles maun eise my paine; | |
| My babe and I ’ll together live, | 35 |
| He ’ll comfort me when cares doe grieve; | |
| My babe and I right saft will ly, | |
And quite forgeit man’s cruelty.
Balow, etc. | |
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| Fareweil, fareweil, thou falsest youth | |
| That ever kist a woman’s mouth! | 40 |
| I wish all maids be warned by mee, | |
| Nevir to trust man’s curtesy; | |
| For if we doe but chance to bow, | |
| They ’ll use us then they care not how. | |
| Balow, my babe, ly stil and sleipe! | 45 |
| It grieves me sair to see thee weipe. | |
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