Grampian Club > Scotland, social and domestic

146 Scotland, Social and Domestic.
This is gude New Year's Even nicht,
We're a' Queen Mary's men;
An' we've come here to claim our richt ;
And that's before our Lady.
The morrow is gude New Year's Day ;
We're a' Queen Mary's men ;
An' we've come here to sport and play ;
An' that's before our Lady.
The hindmost house that we came from —
We're a' Queen Mary's men —
We gat oat cake and sowens scone,
The three-lugged cog Avas standing fou' ;
We hope to get the same from you ;
And that's before our Lady.
Gudewife, gae to your kebbock-creel —
We're a' Queen Mary's men, —
And see thou count the kebbocks weel ;
And that's before our Lady.
Gudewife, gae to your gealding-vat — *
We're a' Queen Mary's men, —
And let us drink till our lugs crack,
And fetch us ane an' fetch us twa,
And aye the merrier we'll gang awa' ;
And that's before our Lady.
Gudewife, gae to your butter-ark —
We're a' Queen Mary's men, —
An' fetch us here ten bismar-mark,f
See that ye grip weel in the dark ;
And that's before our Lady.
May a' your mares be weel to foal —
We're a' Queen Mary's men, —
And every ane be a staig foal ;
And that's before our Lady.
* Fermenting vat.
f Bismar is an old weighing instrument of the Orkneys. A mark
is the lowest denomination of weight.