The Book of Scottish Song/The bride cam' out o' the byre

The bride cam' out o' the byre.

[The author of this song, to the tune of "Woo'd and married and a'," is unknown. It appears in Herd's collection of 1776, but is of much older date.]

The bride cam' out o' the byre,
⁠And, O, as she dighted her cheeks!
Sirs, I'm to be married the night,
⁠And have neither blankets nor sheets;
Have neither blankets nor sheets,
⁠Nor scarce a coverlet too,
The bride that has a' thing to borrow,
⁠Has e'en right muckle ado.
⁠Woo'd and married, and a',
⁠Married, and woo'd, and a'!
⁠And was she nae very weel off,
⁠That was woo'd, and married and a'?

Out spake the bride's father,
⁠As he cam' in frae the pleugh,
O, haud your tongue, my dochter,
⁠And ye'se get gear eneugh;
The stirk stands i' th' tether,
⁠And our bra' bawsint yade,
Will carry ye hame your corn—
⁠What wad ye be at, ye jade?

Out spake the bride's mither,
⁠What deil needs a' this pride?
I had nae a plack in my pouch
⁠That night I was a bride;
My gown was linsy-woolsy,
⁠And ne'er a sark ava;
And ye ha'e ribbons and buskins,
⁠Mae than ane or twa.

What's the matter, quo' Willie;
⁠Though we be scant o' claes,
We'll creep the closer thegither,
⁠And we'll smoor a' the fleas:
Simmer is coming on,
⁠And we'll get taits o' woo;
And we'll get a lass o' our ain,
⁠And she'll spin claiths anew.

Out spake the bride's brither,
⁠As he came in wi' the kye;
Poor Willie wad ne'er ha'e ta'en ye,
⁠Had he kent ye as weel as I;
For ye're baith proud and saucy,
⁠And no for a poor man's wife;
Gin I canna get a better,
⁠I'se ne'er tak' ane i' my life.

Out spake the bride's sister,
⁠As she came in frae the byre;
O gin I were but married,
⁠It's a' that I desire:
But we poor folk maun live single,
⁠And do the best that we can;
I dinna care what I shou'd want
⁠If I cou'd get but a man.

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