Jenny lass, my bonny bird/The New Pease Strae

Jenny lass, my bonny bird (1806)
The New Pease Strae
3171889Jenny lass, my bonny bird — The New Pease Strae1806

FAIR JENNY,

OR,

THE NEW WAY OF PEASE STRAE.

THE country swain that tends the plain,
driving the lightsome plough,
At right, tho' tir’d, with love a'fir'd,
he views the lasses’ brow,
When morning comes, instead of drums,
the flails clap merrily,
To raise the maids out o’ their beds
to shake the Pease Strae

Fair Jenny-raise, put on her claise,
syne tun'd her voice to sing:
She sung sae sweet with notes complete,
gar'd a' the echo's ring;
An' a' the maids laid by their flails,
then danced merrily,
And bl'ss'd the hour that they had power
to shake the Pease Strae.

The musing swain, disturb'd in brain,
fast to her arms he flew,
And strove a while ti en wi' a smi'e,
said Jenny redd in here:
She cries righ' aft, I think ye're daft,
to temp a lassie sae;
Ye'll do me wrang, pray let me gang
and shake the Pease Strae.

My heart, said he, fair wounded be,
for thee, my Jenny fair;
Without a jest I get nae rest,
my bed it proves a snare:
Thy in age fine present me syne,
an' takes a rest frae me;
An, while I dream, in your esteem,
you reckon me your fae.

Which is a sign ye will be mine,
dear Jenny sayna na',
But soon comply, or else I die,
sae tell me but a flaw:
If thou can love there's none above
thee, I can fancy sae;
I would be blest, If I but wist
that ye would shake, ray strae.

She, wi' a smile said, ye're beguil'd,
I manna fancy thee,
My mither bau'd, she would me scauld,
sae dinnae die for me.
But yet I own as I’m near grown
a woman, since it’s sae.
I’ll marry thee, syne ye'll get me
to shake your Pease Strae.


This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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