A First Series of Hymns and Songs/Descriptive Songs/The Highland Lassie
5. The Highland Lassie.
With merry blue eyes, and with loose flowing hair,
With fresh rosy cheeks, and her pretty feet bare,
With a tatter'd straw bonnet, that loosely is tied,
And a little rush basket that hangs at her side,
Which she fills full with heather bells lilac and blue,
And daisies and berries of many a hue,
My sweet Highland lassie is singing as gay,
As a little sky-lark at the break of the day.
My pretty young child, can I take you with me,
My little pet servant and maiden to be,
Away from this moorland, so dismal and drear,
To be nurse to my own little baby and dear;
To sing your nice songs, all so lively and gay,
To my merry young folks at the time of their play?
Oh, come, my sweet maiden, and do not say nay;
Let us leave these bleak mountains, and hasten away.
O lady! my mother is aged and poor,
And scarcely can walk to her own cottage-door;
My father is dead, and no other has she
To help and to tend her but poor little me.
No! while mother lives, by her side will I stay,
To watch her by night, and to cheer her by day;
But when mother dies, and in her grave is laid,
Oh, send for me then, for your own little maid.