Robert Burns (1759–1796). Poems and Songs.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.

275 . Song—The Laddie’s dear sel’

THERE’S a youth in this city, it were a great pity

That he from our lassies should wander awa’;

For he’s bonie and braw, weel-favor’d witha’,

An’ his hair has a natural buckle an’ a’.

His coat is the hue o’ his bonnet sae blue,

His fecket is white as the new-driven snaw;

His hose they are blae, and his shoon like the slae,

And his clear siller buckles, they dazzle us a’.

For beauty and fortune the laddie’s been courtin;

Weel-featur’d, weel-tocher’d, weel-mounted an’ braw;

But chiefly the siller that gars him gang till her,

The penny’s the jewel that beautifies a’.

There’s Meg wi’ the mailen that fain wad a haen him,

And Susie, wha’s daddie was laird o’ the Ha’;

There’s lang-tocher’d Nancy maist fetters his fancy,

But the laddie’s dear sel’, he loes dearest of a’.