“O curst be the day,
and unchancy the hour,
When I sat me
adown to the spinnin’ o’t!
Then some evil spirit or warlock
had power,
And made sic an
ill beginnin’ o’t.
May Spunkie my feet to the
boggie betray,
The lunzie folk steal my new
kirtle away,
And Robin forsake me for douce
Effie Gray,
The next time
I try the spinnin’ o’t.”
[32] “The Wee Pickle Tow” is an old air, to which the words of this song were written.
THE GOWAN GLITTERS ON THE SWARD.
The gowan glitters on the
sward,
The lav’rock’s
in the sky,
And collie on my plaid keeps
ward,
And time is passing
by.
Oh,
no! sad and slow,
And lengthen’d
on the ground;
The
shadow of our trysting bush
It wears so slowly
round.
My sheep-bells tinkle frae
the west,
My lambs are bleating
near;
But still the sound that I
lo’e best,
Alack! I
canna hear.
Oh,
no! sad and slow,
The shadow lingers
still;
And
like a lanely ghaist I stand,
And croon upon
the hill.
I hear below the water roar,
The mill wi’
clacking din,
And lucky scolding frae the
door,
To ca’ the
bairnies in.
Oh,
no! sad and slow,
These are nae
sounds for me;
The
shadow of our trysting bush
It creeps sae
drearily!
I coft yestreen, frae chapman
Tam,
A snood o’
bonnie blue,
And promised, when our trysting
cam’,
To tie it round
her brow.
Oh,
no! sad and slow,
The mark it winna
pass;
The
shadow o’ that dreary bush
Is tether’d
on the grass.
O now I see her on the way!
She ’s past
the witch’s knowe;
She ’s climbing up the
brownie’s brae—
My heart is in
a lowe.
Oh,
no! ’tis not so,
’Tis glamrie
I hae seen;
The
shadow o’ that hawthorn bush
Will move nae
mair till e’en.
My book o’ grace I ’ll
try to read,
Though conn’d
wi’ little skill;
When collie barks I ’ll
raise my head,
And find her on
the hill.
Oh,
no! sad and slow,
The time will
ne’er be gane;
The
shadow o’ our trysting bush
Is fix’d
like ony stane.
SAW YE JOHNNIE COMIN’?
“Saw ye Johnnie comin’?”
quo’ she;
“Saw ye
Johnnie comin’?
Wi’ his blue bonnet
on his head,
And his doggie
rinnin’.
Yestreen, about the gloamin’
time,
I chanced to see
him comin’,
Whistling merrily the tune
That I am a’
day hummin’,” quo’ she;
“I
am a’ day hummin’.