Rob Roy
ROB ROY—D
[_]
“Scotch Ballads, Materials for Border Minstrelsy,”
No 147, Abbotsford; in a handwriting of the early part of
this century.
1
Rob Roy from the Highlands came
Unto the Lowland border;
It was to steal a ladie away,
To keep his house in order.
2
He gae her nae time to dress herself
Like a lady that was to be married,
But he hoisd her out among his crew,
And rowd her in his plaidie.
3
‘Will ye go wi me, my dear?’ he says,
‘Will ye go wi me, my honey?
Will ye go wi me, my dear?’ he says,
‘For I love you best of ony.’
4
‘I winna be your dear,’ she says,
‘Nor I'll never be your honey;
I'll never be your wedded wife,
For you love me but for my money.’
5
He hoisd her out among his crew,
She holding by her mother;
Wi watry eyes and mournfu cries
They parted from each other.
6
As they gaed oer yon high hill,
The ladie often fainted;
‘Oh, wae be to my gold,’ she said,
‘This road for me invented!’
7
Two held her up before the priest,
And two put her to bed,
Wi mournful cries and watry eyes
As she lay by his side.
8
‘Be content, be content,
Be content wi me, ladie,
For now you are my wedded wife
Until the day ye die, ladie.
9
‘Rob Roy was my father calld,
McGrigor was his name, ladie,
And a' the country round about
Has heard of Roy's fame, ladie.
10
‘You do not think yourself a match
For such a one as I, ladie;
But I been east and I been west,
And saird the king of France, ladie.
11
‘And now we hear the bag-pipe play,
And we maun hae a dance, ladie,
And a' the country round about
Has heard of Roy's fame, ladie.
12
‘Shake your foot, shake your foot,
Shake your foot wi me, ladie,
For now you are my wedded bride
Until the day ye die, ladie.
13
‘My father dealt in cows and ewes,
Likewise in goats and sheep, ladie,
And a' the country round about
Has heard of Roy's fame, ladie.
14
‘And ye have fifty thousand marks,
Makes me a man compleat, ladie;
Why mayn't I maid
May I not ride in state, ladie?
15
‘My father was a Highland laird,
Altho he be now dead, ladie,
And a' the country round about
Has heard of Roy's fame, ladie.’
