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Last May a Braw Wooer.

He spak' o' the darts o' my bonnie black e'en,
And vow'd for my love he was deem';
I said he micht dee when he liked for Jean,
The guid forgi'e me for leein', for leein',
The guid forgi e me for leein'.

A weel stockit mailin',² himself, o't the laird,
And marriage aff hand, was his proffer;
I never loot on that I kenn'd it or cared,
But thocht I micht ha'e a waur ³ offer, waur offer,
But thocht I micht ha'e a waur offer.

But what do you think? in a fortnight or less,
The de'il s in his taste to gang near her;
He's up the Gateslack to my black cousin Bess,
Guess ye how, the jaud, I could bear her, could bear her,
Guess ye how, the jaud, I could bear her.

But a' the next week, as I fretted wi' care,
I gaed to the tryst o' Dalgamock;
And wha but my braw fickle wooer was there?
Wha glower'd ⁴ as if he'd seen a warlock,⁵ a warlock,
Wha glower'd as if he'd seen a warlock.

Out owre my left shouther I gi'ed him a blink,⁶
Lest neighbours micht say I was saucy;
My wooer he caper'd as he'd been in drink,
And vow'd that I was his dear lassie, dear lassie,
And vow'd that I was his dear lassie.

I spier'd ⁷ for my cousin, fu' couthie ⁸ and sweet,
Gin she had recover'd her hearin';
And how my auld shoon fitted her shaucled ⁹ feet,
Guid save us, how he fell a swearin', a swearin',
Guid save us, how he fell a swearin'.

He begged for guid-sake I wad he his wife,
Or else I wad kill him wi' sorrow;
Sae, e'en to preserve the puir body in life,
I think I maun wed him to-morrow, to-morrow,
I think I maun wed him to-morrow.