A Braw Wooer

Last May, a braw wooer cam doun 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.

He spak o' the darts in my bonie black e'en,
And vow′d for my love he was diein,
I said, he might die when he liked for Jean-
The Lord forgie me for liein, for liein;
The Lord forgie me for liein!

A weel-stocked 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.

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.

But a' the niest week, as I petted wi′ care,
I gaed to the tryst o' Dalgarnock;
But wha but my fine fickle wooer was there,
I glowr′d as I'd seen a warlock, a warlock,
I glowr'd as I′d seen a warlock.

But owre my left shouther I gae him a blink,
Lest neibours 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.

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 schachl't feet,
But heavens! how he fell a swearin, a swearin,
But heavens! how he fell a swearin.

He begged, 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.