THE GREY COCK, OR, SAW YOU MY FATHER?
[_]
a. ‘The Grey Cock,’ Herd's Ancient and Modern Scots
Songs, 1769, p. 324; Herd's MSS, I, 4; Herd's Ancient
and Modern Scottish Songs, 1776, II, 208. b.
‘Saw you my father?’ Chappell's Popular Music,
p. 731.
1
‘O saw ye my father? or saw ye my mother?
Or saw ye my true-love John?’
‘I saw not your father, I saw not your mother,
But I saw your true-love John.
2
‘It's now ten at night, and the stars gie nae light,
And the bells they ring ding, dang;
He's met wi some delay that causeth him to stay,
But he will be here ere lang.’
3
The surly auld carl did naething but snarl,
And Johny's face it grew red;
Yet, tho he often sighd, he neer a word replied
Till all were asleep in bed.
4
Up Johny rose, and to the door he goes,
And gently tirlëd the pin;
The lassie taking tent unto the door she went,
And she opend and let him in.
5
‘And are ye come at last? and do I hold ye fast?
And is my Johny true?’
‘I hae nae time to tell, but sae lang's I like mysell
Sae lang will I love you.’
6
‘Flee, flee up, my bonny grey cock,
And craw whan it is day;
Your neck shall be like the bonny beaten gold,
And your wings of the silver grey.’
7
The cock prov'd false, and untrue he was,
For he crew an hour oer soon;
The lassie thought it day when she sent her love away,
And it was but a blink of the moon
