Katharine Jaffray
KATHARINE JAFFRAY—A
[_]
a. Herd's MSS, I, 61, II, 56. b. The Aldine edition of
Burns's Poems, by Sir Harris Nicolas, 1839, III, 181, from
Burns's autograph.
1
There livd a lass in yonder dale,
And doun in yonder glen, O
And Kathrine Jaffray was her name,
Well known by many men. O
2
Out came the Laird of Lauderdale,
Out frae the South Countrie,
All for to court this pretty maid,
Her bridegroom for to be.
3
He has teld her father and mither baith,
And a' the rest o her kin,
And has teld the lass hersell,
And her consent has win.
4
Then came the Laird of Lochinton,
Out frae the English border,
All for to court this pretty maid,
Well mounted in good order.
5
He's teld her father and mither baith,
As I hear sindry say,
But he has nae teld the lass her sell,
Till on her wedding day.
6
When day was set, and friends were met,
And married to be,
Lord Lauderdale came to the place,
The bridal for to see.
7
‘O are you came for sport, young man;
Or are you come for play?
Or are you come for a sight o our bride,
Just on her wedding day?’
8
‘I'm nouther come for sport,’ he says,
‘Nor am I come for play;
But if I had one sight o your bride,
I'll mount and ride away.’
9
There was a glass of the red wine
Filld up them atween,
And ay she drank to Lauderdale,
Wha her true-love had been.
10
Then he took her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
And he mounted her high behind him there,
At the bridegroom he askt nae leive.
11
Then the blude run down by the Cowden Banks,
And down by Cowden Braes,
And ay she gard the trumpet sound,
‘O this is foul, foul play!’
12
Now a' ye that in England are,
Or are in England born,
Come nere to Scotland to court a lass,
Or else ye'l get the scorn.
13
They haik ye up and settle ye by,
Till on your wedding day,
And gie ye frogs instead o fish,
And play ye foul, foul play.
