The English and Scottish Popular Ballads :: :: University of Virginia Library

The English and Scottish Popular Ballads

Edited by Francis James Child.

Part I.

II.

III.

IV.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

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Glasgow Peggy

GLASGOW PEGGIE—E

[_]

Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 70, as sung by an old woman living near Keith, Banffshire.

1

The Hielan lads sae brisk and braw,
The Hielan lads sae brisk and gaudie,
Hae gane awa to Glasgow town,
To steal awa the bonny Peggy.

2

As they cam on to Glasgow town,
And passd the banks and braes sae bonny,
There they espied the weel-faurd may,
And she said to them her name was Peggy.

3

Their chief did meet her father soon,
And O! but he was wondrous angry;
Says, Ye may steal my owsen and kye,
But ye maunna steal my bonnie Peggy.

4

‘O haud your tongue, ye gude auld man,
For I've got cows and ewes already;
I come na to steal your owsen and kye,
But I will steal your bonny Peggy.’

5

He set her on a milk-white steed,
And he himsel rode a gude grey naigie,
And they are on mony miles to the north,
And nane wi them but the bonny Peggy.

6

‘I hae fifty acres o gude red lan,
And a' weel ploughd and sawn already,
And why should your father be angry wi me,
And ca me naething but a Hielan laddie?

7

‘I hae twenty weel mounted steeds,
Black and brown and grey, already;
And ilk ane o them is tended by a groom,
Altho I be but a Hielan laddie.

8

‘I hae now ten thousand sheep,
A' feeding on yon braes sae bonny,
And ilka hundred a shepherd has,
Altho I be but a Hielan laddie.

9

‘I hae a castle on yonder hill,
It's a' set roun wi windows many;
I'm Lord M'Donald o the whole Isle of Skye;
And why shouldna Peggy be ca'd my Lady?’

10

Now a' that Peggy had before
Was a wee cot-house and a little kail-yairdie,
But now she is lady o the whole Isle of Skye,
And now bonny Peggy is ca'd my Lady.