THE JOLLY BEGGAR
Then was a jollie beggar, and a beggin' he was born',
And he took up his quarters into a landwart town.
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin',
A-rovin' in the night,
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin',
Let the moon shine ne'er sae bricht.
He wad neither lie in barn, nor yet wad he in byre,
But in ahint the ha' door, or else afore the fire
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', &c.
The beggar's bed was made at e'en wi' gude clean straw and hay
And in ahint the door, and there the beggar lay.
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', &c.
Up rose the gude man's dochter, and for to bar the door:
And there she saw the beggar standin' i' the floor.
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', &c.
He took the lassie in his arms, and off with her he ran
O hoolie, hoolie, wi' me, sir; ye'll wauken our gude man'
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', &c.
The beggar was a cunin' loon, and ne'er a word he spak
Untill the cock began to craw; syne he began to crack.
And we'll gang nae more a-rovin', &c.
Is there ony dowgs into this town? maiden, tell me true
And what wad ye do wi' them, my hinnie and my dow?
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', &c.
They'll ryve a' my meal-pocks and do me mickle wrang,
Oh, dule for the dooin' o't, are ye the poor man,
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin, &c.
Then she took up the meal-pocks, and flang them o'er the wa'
The deil gae wi' the meal poeks an' tak yersel nwa'
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', &c.
I took ye for some gentleman, at least the laird o'Brodie
Oh, dule for the doin o't are ye the puir bodie,
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', &c.
He took the lassie in his arms, and gae her kisses three
And four an' twenty hunder merks for havin made so free.
And we'll gang nae mair a-rovin', &c.
