Broadside ballads entitled 'The Beggar Man', 'The Bonnie Lassie's Plaidie' and 'The Band o' Shearers'

Transcription

THE BEGGAR MAN

THE BAND O' SHEARERS
The Bonnie Lassie's Plaidie

THE BEGGAR MAN.

There was an old man cam' o'er the lea,
Wi' mony a fine story unto me,
He was seeking out for charity ;
Will you lodge a beggar man, O?

The night being dark and somewhat wat ,
It's down by the fireside the auld man sat,
And cast the meal pock aff his back,
And aye he ranted and sang, O.

If I was as blythe as blythe could be,
As the day that I left my ain countrie,
Blythe and merry would I be,
And I would not think it lang, O.

If I was as black as I am white,
As the snaw that lies on yonder dyke,
I would dress myself as beggar like
And awa' wi' you I'd gang, O.

O lassie, dear lassie, you are too young,
And you have na the cant o' the begging tongue,
O, you have na the cant o' the begging tongue,
And wi' me you canna gang, O.

I'll bend my back and bow my knee,
I'll put a black patch on my e'e,
And for a beggar they'll tak' me,
And awa' wi' you I'll gang, O.

So syne the two made up the plot,
To rise twa hours before the old folk?
Sae gently as they slipt the lock,
And through the fields they ran, O.

Early next morning the auld folks arose,
They missed the auld beggar and his clothes,
So they missed the auld beggar and his clothes,
Saying there's nane o 'oor gude gear gane, O.

She ordered, the old man to wauken the bairn,
The milk for tae kirn, and the claes for tae airn,
The milk for tae kirn, and the claes for tae airn,
And tell her to come speedily ben, O.

He went tae the room where the dochter lay,
The sheets were cauld and she was away,
O   dear, O dear, the auld man did say,
She's awa' wi' the beggar man, O.

Some rode on horseback and some rode on foot,
For the old woman she was not fit,
She crippled about frae stern to hip,
Saying I'll ne'er lodge a beggar man again, O.

When three lang years were past and gane,
Cam' back the same beggar man again,
Saying, auld wife, since your courtship's gane,
Would you lodge a beggar man, O.

A beggar, a beggar, I'll ne'er lodge again,
I hadna a dochter but ane o' my ain,
And awa' wi 'a beggar man she has gane,
And I canna tell when or where, O.

O yonder she's coming o'er the lea,
Wi' mony a fine story unto thee,
O she's gotten a baby on her knee,
And anither comin' hame,O.

Yonder she's coming o'er yon bower,
Wi' silks and satins, and fine flowers,
She held up her hand, and she blessed the day
That she followed the beggar man, O.

The Bonnie Lassie's Plaidie.

A butcher lad there lived in Crieff,
A bonnie lassie came for to buy some beef,
He took her in his arms and down she did fa',
And the wind blew the bonnie lassie's plaidy awa'.

Her plaidy awa', her plaidy awa',
The wind blew the bonnie lassie's plaidy awa',
He took her in his arms and down she did fa',
The wind blew the bonnie lassie's plaidy awa'.

The plaidy was lost and could not be found,
The deil's in the plaid, its awa' wi' the wind,
But what shall I say to the old folks ava',
I daurna say the wind blew the plaidy awa'.
It was not long after the plaidy was lost,
Till the bonnie lassie grew thick in the waist,
And Rabbie was blamed for the hale o' it a',
And the wind blawing the bonnie lassie's plaidy awa.
Then Rabbie was summoned to answer the session,
They all cried out you maun make a confession,
But Robbie ne'er answered them nae word ava,
But the wind blew the bonnie lassie's plaidy awa'.
The auld wife came in poor Rabbie tae accuse,
The ministers and elders began tae abuse,
Poor Rabbie, for trying tae make one in twa,
But Rabbie said the wind blew the plaidy awa'.
The lassie was sent for tae come there hersel',
She looks in his face and says, ye ken how I feel,
And ye were the cause o't ye darna say na,
It was then the wind blew the plaidy awa'.
Rab looked in her face and gied a bit smile,
He says, my bonnie lassie I winna beguile,
The minister is here, he'll make ane o' us twa,
That will pay the plaidy the wind blew awa'.
The whisky was sent for to make things right,
The minister and elder they sat all night,
And sang before the cock began to craw,
The wind blew the bonnie lassie's plaidy awa'.
Now Rab and his lassie are hand in hand,
They live as contented as any in the land,
And when he gets fou' he minds o 'the fa',
And he sings the wind blew the bonnie lassie's plaidy awa'.

The Band   o'Shearers.

Autumn comes with heather bells,
And bonnie o'er thon mountain dells,
With yellow corn ripe, Lothian's vales
Were ready for the shearing.

CHORUS?

Oh, bonnie lassie will ye gang,
And shear with me the hale day lang?
Love will cheer us as we gang
To join yon band of shearers.

And if the thistles be too strong.
That they do hurt your lily-white hand,
With my keen blade I'll whang them down,
When we are at the shearing.

Oh, rise, my love, the morning's fair,
No more thon rainy clouds we'll fear,
Hand in hand come let us steer
Away unto the shearing.

And if the neighbours us envy,
And say there's love between you and I,
So carelessly we'll pass them by
When we are at the shearing.

And when the shearing is a' dune,
Then we'll hae a rantin churn.
And some in corners makin' little din,
We'll forget a' the toils o' the shearing.

Copies can always be had at the Poet's Box, Overgate, Dundee.

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