The pauky
[1025] auld carle came ovir the lee,
Wi’ mony good-e’ens and days to mee,
Saying, “Goodwife, for zour courtesie,
Will ze lodge a silly
[1026] poor man?”
The night was cauld, the carle was wat,
And down azont
[1027] the ingle he sat;
My dochter’s shoulders he gan to clap,
And cadgily
[1028] ranted and sang.
“O wow!” quo he, “were I as free
As first when I saw this countrie,
How blyth and merry wad I bee!
And I wad nevir think lang
[1029].”
He grew canty
[1030] and she grew fain,
But little did her auld minny ken
[1031]What thir slee twa togither were sayn
When wooing they were sa thrang
[1032].
“And O!” quo he, “ann
[1033] ze were as black
As evir the crown o’ your dadye’s hat
’Tis I wad lay thee by my back,
And awa wi’ me thou sould gang
[1034]!”
“And O!” quoth she, “ann I were as whyte
As evir the snaw lay on the dike
Ild clead me braw
[1035] and lady-like,
And awa wi’ thee Ild gang!”
Between the twa was made a plot,
They raise a wee
[1036] before the cock,
And wyliely they shot the lock,
And fast to the bent
[1037] are they gane.
Up the morn the auld wife raise,
And at her leisure put on her claiths,
Syne to the servants’ bed she gaes
To speir
[1038] for the silly poor man.
She gaed
[1039] to the bed whair the beggar lay;
The strae was cauld, he was away;
Scho clapt her hands, cry’d “Dulefu’ day!
For some of our geir
[1040] will be gane.”
Some ran to coffer and some to kist
[1041],
But nought was stown
[1042] that could be mist.
She danced her lane
[1043], cry’d “Praise be blest!
I have lodg’d a leal
[1044] poor man.”
“Since naithing’s awa, as we can learn,
The kirn’s to kirn
[1045] and milk to earn;
Gae butt
[1046] the house, lass, and waken my bairn,
And bid her come quickly ben
[1047].”
The servant gaed where the dochter lay—
The sheets was cauld, she was away;
And fast to her goodwife can say
[1048],
“She’s aff with the gaberlunzieman.”
“O fy gar ride
[1049], and fy gar rin,
And haste ze, find these traiters agen!
For shee’s be burnt, and hee’s be slein,
The wearifou
[1050] gaberlunzieman!”
Some rade upo’ horse, some ran a-fit
[1051];
The wife was wood
[1052], and out o’ her wit;
She could na gang, not yet could she sit
But ay did curse and did ban.
Mean-time far hind, out owre
[1053] the lee,
Fu’ snug in a glen where nane could see,
The twa, with kindlie sport and glee,
Cut frae a new cheese a whang
[1054].
The prieving
[1055] was gude, it pleas’d them baith;
To lo’e her for ay he gae her his aith.
Quo she, “To leave thee I will be laith,
My winsome gaberlunzieman.
“O kend my minny I were wi’ zou,
Ill-fardly
[1056] wald she crook her mou’.
Sic a poor man sheld nevir trow
[1057]Aftir the gaberlunzieman.”
“My dear,” quo he, “zee’re zet owre zonge,
And hae na learnt the beggar’s tonge,
To follow me frae toun to toun,
And carrie the gaberlunzie on:
“Wi’ kauk and keel
[1058] I’ll win zour bread,
And spindles and whorles
[1059] for them wha need—
Whilk is a gentil trade indeed,
The gaberlunzie to carrie O!
I’ll bow
[1060] my leg and crook my knee,
And draw a black clout
[1061] owre my e’e;
A criple or blind they will cau me,
While we sall sing and be merry O!”