| |
| “OH, wha hae ye brought us hame now, my brave lord, | |
| Strappit naught ower his braid saddle-bow? | |
| Some bauld Border reiver to feast at our board | |
| An’ herry our pantry, I trow. | |
| He ’s buirdly an’ stalwart in lith an’ in limb: | 5 |
| Gin ye were his master in war | |
| The field was a saft eneugh litter for him— | |
| Ye needna hae brought him sae far;— | |
| Then saddle an’ munt again, harness an’ dunt again, | |
| An’ when ye gae hunt again, strike higher game.”— | 10 |
| |
| “Hoot, whist ye, my dame, for he comes o’ gude kin, | |
| An’ boasts o’ a lang pedigree; | |
| This night he maun share o’ our gude cheer within, | |
| At morning’s gray dawn he maun dee. | |
| He ’s gallant Wat Scott, heir o’ proud Harden Ha’, | 15 |
| Wha ettled our lands clear to sweep; | |
| But now he is snug in auld Elibank’s paw, | |
| An’ shall swing frae our donjon-keep. | |
| Though saddle an’ munt again, harness an’ dunt again, | |
| I ’ll ne’er when I hunt again strike higher game.”— | 20 |
| |
| “Is this young Wat Scott? an’ wad ye rax his craig, | |
| When our daughter is fey for a man? | |
| Gae, gaur the loun marry our muckle-mou’d Meg, | |
| Or we ’ll ne’er get the jaud aff our han’!”— | |
| “’Od, hear our gudewife! she wad fain save your life:— | 25 |
| Wat Scott, will ye marry or hang?” | |
| But Meg’s muckle mou set young Wat’s heart agrue, | |
| Wha swore to the woodie he ’d gang. | |
| Ne’er saddle nor munt again, harness nor dunt again, | |
| Wat ne’er shall hunt again, ne’er see his hame. | 30 |
| |
| Syne muckle-mou’d Meg pressed in close to his side, | |
| An’ blinkit fu’ sleely and kind; | |
| But aye as Wat glowered on his braw proffered bride, | |
| He shook like a leaf in the wind. | |
| “A bride or a gallows; a rope or a wife!” | 35 |
| The morning dawned sunny and clear: | |
| Wat boldly strode forward to part wi’ his life, | |
| Till he saw Meggy shedding a tear; | |
| Then saddle an’ munt again, harness an’ dunt again, | |
| Fain wad Wat hunt again, fain wad he hame. | 40 |
| |
| Meg’s tear touched his bosom—the gibbet frowned high— | |
| An’ slowly Wat strode to his doom; | |
| He gae a glance round wi’ a tear in his eye,— | |
| Meg shone like a star through the gloom. | |
| She rushed to his arms; they were wed on the spot, | 45 |
| An’ lo’ed ither muckle and lang. | |
| Nae bauld border laird had a wife like Wat Scott: | |
| ’T was better to marry than hang. | |
| So saddle an’ munt again, harness an’ dunt again, | |
| Elibank hunt again, Wat ’s snug at hame. | 50 |
| |
