Stray Leaves from the Portfolios of Alisander the Seer, Andrew Whaup, and Humphrey Henkeckle Edited by Alexander Rodger |
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ANE WAEFU' LAMENT
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 | Stray Leaves from the Portfolios of Alisander the Seer, Andrew Whaup, and Humphrey Henkeckle |  |
156
ANE WAEFU' LAMENT
FOR THE LOSS O' OUR WORDIE BAILIE'S SPEECH, QUHILK SULD HAE BEEN DELIVERIT AT ANE DINNER GIEN TO YE HONOURABLE AND NOBLE YIRL GREY, BE YE GUDE FOLK O' AULD REEKIE, IN YE ZIER O' GRACE AUGHTEEN HUNDER AND THRETTIE-THREE.
O heard ze o' this sad affaire
Hals happenit in Auld Reekie?
That wordie mann, our Magistrat,
Hals deevilit a' our Cleekie;
And brocht us intil sad disgrace,
Be stickand o' hys lesson,
Ane waefu' pruif that Bailzies ne'er
Suld sit wi' lords a-messin'.
An' it's O waes me!
Hals happenit in Auld Reekie?
That wordie mann, our Magistrat,
Hals deevilit a' our Cleekie;
And brocht us intil sad disgrace,
Be stickand o' hys lesson,
Ane waefu' pruif that Bailzies ne'er
Suld sit wi' lords a-messin'.
An' it's O waes me!
Quhan our gude toon's prosperitie,
In bumpers deep wals drank,
Our Bailzie, als in dutie bound,
Gat up ye folk till thank;
But, waesucks! palsie or nightmare
Sae prest upon hys tongue,
That dumb als ane Egyptian quhalp,
Our wordie Bailzie sung,
An' it's O waes me!
In bumpers deep wals drank,
Our Bailzie, als in dutie bound,
Gat up ye folk till thank;
But, waesucks! palsie or nightmare
Sae prest upon hys tongue,
That dumb als ane Egyptian quhalp,
Our wordie Bailzie sung,
An' it's O waes me!
But tell me, wals't ye Bailzie's faut,
Or wals't ye printer loon,
That sett hys speech ye backward way,
Or turned it upside doon?
Na, Gude in heaven only kens,
Bot this they say quha see'd it,
That thoch hee tryit it wi' hys specks,
Ye Bailzie culdna read it.
An' it's O waes me!
Or wals't ye printer loon,
That sett hys speech ye backward way,
Or turned it upside doon?
157
Bot this they say quha see'd it,
That thoch hee tryit it wi' hys specks,
Ye Bailzie culdna read it.
An' it's O waes me!
Hee leukit richt, hee leukit left,
Hee gapit and hee glowrit,
Bot wi' ye dazzland o' ye starrs,
Hee wals swa overpowrit,
Hee tynt hys tongue, hee tynt hys eyne,
Hee culdna see ane blink;
Na, waur,—hee gat swa doitrefiet,
Hee walsna fitt till think.
An' it's O waes me!
Hee gapit and hee glowrit,
Bot wi' ye dazzland o' ye starrs,
Hee wals swa overpowrit,
Hee tynt hys tongue, hee tynt hys eyne,
Hee culdna see ane blink;
Na, waur,—hee gat swa doitrefiet,
Hee walsna fitt till think.
An' it's O waes me!
Hee sett hys specks, hee clawit hys pow,
He gied ane hum and haw,
Bot lyk ane tale beyond ye flood,
Hys speech it wals awa'.
Hee fumblit for't, hee mumblit for't,
Alace! 'twals fairlie gane,
Swa back hee stoiterit till hys seat,
And gied ane awfu' grane.
An' it's O waes me!
He gied ane hum and haw,
Bot lyk ane tale beyond ye flood,
Hys speech it wals awa'.
Hee fumblit for't, hee mumblit for't,
Alace! 'twals fairlie gane,
Swa back hee stoiterit till hys seat,
And gied ane awfu' grane.
An' it's O waes me!
Ye wickit waggs o' Enbro toon,
O wearie 'fa' ye pack!
Quhan they beheld our Bailzie's plicht,
Their sport began till mak'.
Sum cryit ane ‘Glasgow magistrate,’
Sum ‘caller herring’ sung,
Quhat pitie bot ye wickit wordis
Wald blysterit ilka tongue.
An' it's O waes me!
O wearie 'fa' ye pack!
Quhan they beheld our Bailzie's plicht,
Their sport began till mak'.
158
Sum ‘caller herring’ sung,
Quhat pitie bot ye wickit wordis
Wald blysterit ilka tongue.
An' it's O waes me!
Then henceforth let our Bailzies learn,
To bee less proud and vaine,
Nor rin awa' to drinke and dyne,
Wi' jukis and lordis againe,
For they're ane Order be themsels,
Swa farr 'buve common menn,
That honest folk suld shunn them, als
They'd shunn ane tigger's denn,
And it's O waes me!
To bee less proud and vaine,
Nor rin awa' to drinke and dyne,
Wi' jukis and lordis againe,
For they're ane Order be themsels,
Swa farr 'buve common menn,
That honest folk suld shunn them, als
They'd shunn ane tigger's denn,
And it's O waes me!
| Stray Leaves from the Portfolios of Alisander the Seer, Andrew Whaup, and Humphrey Henkeckle | |