Inglis Collection of printed music > Printed music > Songs of Scotland adapted to their appropriate melodies > Volume 1

i LO E NA A LADDIE BUT AKE.
131
!ip£
3S
33
o' mit - tens o
green;
He vow'd that he'd e - ver be
^i" 1 il [ ^ra
ta
3^^
a piacere.
B5
B=i^
-if:
-E— 3-F-
true, And I plight - ed my troth yes - treen.
^
it**
Z53£~
zt =:
m
Let ithers brag weel o' their gear, 3
Their land, and their lordly degree ;
I carena for ought but my dear.
For he's ilka 4 thing lordly to me.
His words are sae sugar 'd, sae sweet !
His sense drives ilk fear far awa' !
I listen, poor fool ! and I greet ;
Yet how sweet are the tears as they fa' !
"Dear lassie," he cries, wi' a jeer,
" Ne'er heed what the auld anes will say ;
Though we've little to brag o' — ne'er fear ;
What's gowd to a heart that is wae ?
Our laird has baith honours and wealth,
Yet see how he's dwining 5 wi' care ;
Now we, though we've naething but health,
Are cantie and leal evermair.
Bought.
s A short cloak.
3 Riches ; goods.
' Menic ! the heart that is true,
Has something mair costly than gear ;
Ilk e'en it has naething to rue,
Ilk morn it has naething to fear.
Ye warldlings, gae hoard up your store,
And tremble for fear ought ye tyne,
Guard your treasures wi' lock, bar, and door,
True love is the guardian o' mine."
He ends wi' a kiss and a smile —
Wae's me, can I tak' it amiss !
My laddie's unpractised in guile,
He's free aye to daut' and to kiss !
Ye lasses wha lo'c to torment
Your wooers wi' fause scorn and strife,
Play your pranks — I ha'e gi'en my consent,
And this night I am Jamie's for life.
4 Every. 6 Pining away. 6 Lose. 7 Caress.
" I lo'e na a laddie bct ane." The first stanza of this song, as well as a second which is here omitted, are
said, on the authority of Burns, to have been written by the Rev. Mr. Clunie of Borthwick. " In Ritson's
Collection, the reader will find the letters J. D. prefixed to the song, which is directed to be sung to the
tune of ' Happy Dick Dawson.' If J. D. be the initial letters of the composer's name, Burns must have been
misinformed. The four supplementary stanzas, beginning ' Let others brag weel o' their gear,' were composed
by Hector Macneill, Esq., before noticed. Mr. Macneill told me this himself. The musical reader will easily
observe a striking affinity between the Scots air and the Irish tune called ' My lodging is on the cold ground.'"
See Museum Illustrations, vol. iii. p. 251. Mr. Stcnhouse is quite right as to the resemblance between these two
tunes. As we wish to act on the right maxim of giving to every one his due, we have no hesitation in saying
that we believe this to be a mere modification of the Irish tune ; although it has so long passed current in
Scottish Collections as a Scottish air, as to be generally received as part of our national melodic property. Its
structure shows it not to belong to ancient Scotland.
The words having been altered by different editors, the original song is given in the Appendix.