Poems, on sacred and other subjects and songs, humorous and sentimental: By the late William Watt. Third edition of the songs only--with additional songs |
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ELSPA ADAIR. |
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 | Poems, on sacred and other subjects |  |
86
ELSPA ADAIR.
A pawky auld cummer wins in the Mill glen
Wham ilk body's heard o', but nane fully ken;
She's cosie, she's cosh, and she's bien butt and ben;
She has kists fu' o' claes, and has siller to ware;
But how she's sae rowthy, though howdie she be,
Lang puzzled ilk brain through the mystery to see,
Till the carlines o' sense did ilk ither agree
That Nick was in paction wi' Elspa Adair.
Wham ilk body's heard o', but nane fully ken;
She's cosie, she's cosh, and she's bien butt and ben;
She has kists fu' o' claes, and has siller to ware;
But how she's sae rowthy, though howdie she be,
Lang puzzled ilk brain through the mystery to see,
Till the carlines o' sense did ilk ither agree
That Nick was in paction wi' Elspa Adair.
Now Elspa was thrifty the hale o' her life,
And to the laird's gamekeeper made a guid wife
For thirty lang years, without fam'ly or strife,
Till he left her a widow to mourn for him sair.
But though the protector o' paitricks and hares,
His conscience wad rack baith to set and lift snares;
And when he was tired o' his day's toilsome cares,
Awa' at the gloamin slade Elspa Adair.
And to the laird's gamekeeper made a guid wife
For thirty lang years, without fam'ly or strife,
Till he left her a widow to mourn for him sair.
But though the protector o' paitricks and hares,
His conscience wad rack baith to set and lift snares;
And when he was tired o' his day's toilsome cares,
Awa' at the gloamin slade Elspa Adair.
She could hide four guid maukins aneath her brown cloak,
And meet wi' the cadger and sell aff her stock,
And lauch aff the scorn wi' a blithe knacky joke,
Wi' conscience unscathed, and wi' heart void o' care.
When ta'en aff to howdie, by nicht or by day,
She airted aye hame whare the wily girns lay;
The laird micht traverse ilka valley and brae,
But the feck o' his game lodged wi' Elspa Adair.
And meet wi' the cadger and sell aff her stock,
And lauch aff the scorn wi' a blithe knacky joke,
Wi' conscience unscathed, and wi' heart void o' care.
When ta'en aff to howdie, by nicht or by day,
She airted aye hame whare the wily girns lay;
The laird micht traverse ilka valley and brae,
But the feck o' his game lodged wi' Elspa Adair.
| Poems, on sacred and other subjects | |