The Poetry of Robert Burns Edited by William Ernest Henley and Thomas F. Henderson |
 | I. |
| 2. |
 | III. |
LAST MAY A BRAW WOOER |
| IV. |
 | The Poetry of Robert Burns |  |
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LAST MAY A BRAW WOOER
I
Last May a braw wooer cam down the lang glen,And sair wi' his love he did deave me.
I said there was naething I hated like men:
The deuce gae wi'm to believe me, believe me—
The deuce gae wi'm to believe me!
II
He spak o' the darts in my bonie black een,And vow'd for my love he was diein.
I said, he might die when he liket for Jean:
The Lord forgie me for liein, for liein—
The Lord forgie me for liein!
III
A weel-stocket mailen, himsel for the laird,And marriage aff-hand were his proffers:
I never loot on that I kenn'd it, or car'd,
But thought I might hae waur offers, waur offers—
But thought I might hae waur offers.
IV
But what wad ye think? In a fortnight or less(The Deil tak his taste to gae near her!)
He up the Gate-Slack to my black cousin, Bess!
Guess ye how, the jad! I could bear her, could bear her—
Guess ye how, the jad! I could bear her.
243
V
But a' the niest week, as I petted wi' care,I gaed to the tryste o' Dalgarnock,
And wha but my fine fickle lover was there?
I glowr'd as I'd seen a warlock, a warlock—
I glowr'd as I'd seen a warlock.
VI
But owre my left shouther I gae him a blink,Lest neebours might say I was saucy.
My wooer he caper'd as he'd been in drink,
And vow'd I was his dear lassie, dear lassie—
And vow'd I was his dear lassie!
VII
I spier'd for my cousin fu' couthy and sweet:Gin she had recover'd her hearin?
And how her new shoon fit her auld, shachl'd feet?
But heavens! how he fell a swearin, a swearin—
But heavens! how he fell a swearin!
VIII
He beggèd, for gudesake, I wad be his wife,Or else I wad kill him wi' sorrow;
So e'en to preserve the poor body in life,
I think I maun wed him to-morrow, to-morrow—
I think I maun wed him to-morrow!
| The Poetry of Robert Burns | |