The Scottish Works of Alexander Ross ... Consisting of Helenore, or The Fortunate Shepherdess; Songs; The Fortunate Shepherd, or The Orphan: Edited, with notes, glossary and life by Margaret Wattie |
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WHAT AILS THE LASSES AT ME? |
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 | The Scottish Works of Alexander Ross |  |
156
WHAT AILS THE LASSES AT ME?
I am a batchelor winsome,
A farmer by rank and degree,
An' few I see gang out mair handsome
To kirk or to market than me.
I have outsight and insight and credit,
And from any eelist I'm free;
I'm well enough boarded and bedded,
And what ails the lasses at me?
A farmer by rank and degree,
An' few I see gang out mair handsome
To kirk or to market than me.
I have outsight and insight and credit,
And from any eelist I'm free;
I'm well enough boarded and bedded,
And what ails the lasses at me?
My boughts of good store are no scanty,
My byrs are well stocked wi' ky,
Of meal i' my girnels is plenty,
An' twa or three easments forby.
An' horse to ride out when they're weary,
An' cock with the best they can see,
An' then be ca'd dawty and deary—
I fairly what ails them at me.
My byrs are well stocked wi' ky,
Of meal i' my girnels is plenty,
An' twa or three easments forby.
An' horse to ride out when they're weary,
An' cock with the best they can see,
An' then be ca'd dawty and deary—
I fairly what ails them at me.
Behind backs, afore fouk, I've woo'd them,
An' a' the gates o't that I ken;
An' when they leugh o' me, I trow'd them,
An' thought I had won, but what then?
When I speak of matters they grumble,
Nor are condescending and free,
But at my proposals ay stumble.
I wonder what ails them at me.
An' a' the gates o't that I ken;
An' when they leugh o' me, I trow'd them,
An' thought I had won, but what then?
When I speak of matters they grumble,
Nor are condescending and free,
But at my proposals ay stumble.
I wonder what ails them at me.
I've try'd them baith highland an' lowland,
Where I a good bargain cud see;
But nane o' them fand I wad fall in
Or say they wad buckle wi' me.
With jooks an' wi' scraps I've address'd them,
Been with them baith modest and free;
But whatever way I caress'd them,
There's something still ails them at me.
Where I a good bargain cud see;
But nane o' them fand I wad fall in
Or say they wad buckle wi' me.
157
Been with them baith modest and free;
But whatever way I caress'd them,
There's something still ails them at me.
O, if I kend but how to gain them,
How fond of the knack wad I be!
Or what an address could obtain them,
It should be twice welcome to me.
If kissing and clapping wad please them,
That trade I should drive till I die;
But however I study to ease them,
They've still an exception at me.
How fond of the knack wad I be!
Or what an address could obtain them,
It should be twice welcome to me.
If kissing and clapping wad please them,
That trade I should drive till I die;
But however I study to ease them,
They've still an exception at me.
There's wratacks an' cripples an' cranshaks,
An' a' the wandoghts that I ken,
No sooner they speak to the wenches
But they are ta'en far enough ben.
But when I speak to them that's stately,
I find them ay ta'en with the gee,
An' get the denial right flatly.
What think ye can ail them at me?
An' a' the wandoghts that I ken,
No sooner they speak to the wenches
But they are ta'en far enough ben.
But when I speak to them that's stately,
I find them ay ta'en with the gee,
An' get the denial right flatly.
What think ye can ail them at me?
I have yet but ae offer to make them,
If they wad but hearken to me;
And that is, I'm willing to tak them
If they their consent wad but gee.
Let her that's content write a billet,
An' get it transmitted to me.
I hereby engage to fulfill it,
Tho' cripple, tho' blind she sud be.
If they wad but hearken to me;
And that is, I'm willing to tak them
If they their consent wad but gee.
Let her that's content write a billet,
An' get it transmitted to me.
I hereby engage to fulfill it,
Tho' cripple, tho' blind she sud be.
| The Scottish Works of Alexander Ross | |