The auld Goodman, pp.119-120.

[Tea-Table Miscellany Contents]

LAte in an evening forth I went, 

A little before the sun gade down, 

And there I chanc’d by accident, 

To light on a battle new begun. 

A man and his wife was fawn in a strife, 

I canna well tell ye how it began; 

But ay she wail’d her wretched life, 

And cry’d ever, alake me auld goodman. 

– 

HE. 

Thy auld goodman that thou tells of, 

The country kens where he was born, 

Was but a silly poor vagabond, 

And ilka ane leugh him to scorn; 

For he did spend and make an end 

Of gear that his fore-fathers wan, 

He gart the poor stand frae the door, 

Sae tell nae mair of thy auld goodman. 

– 

SHE. 

My heart alake, is liken to break, 

When I think on my winsome John

His blinkan eye and gate sae free, 

Was naithing like thee, thou dosend drone. 

His rosie face and flaxen hair, 

And a skin as white as ony swan, 

Was large and tall, and comely withall, 

And thou’lt never be like my auld goodman. 

– 

HE. 

Why dost thou pleen? I thee maintain, 

For meal and mawt thou disna want; 

But thy wild bees I canna please, 

Now when our gear gins to grow scant. 

Of houshold-stuff thou hast enough, 

Thou wants for neither pot nor pan; 

Of sicklike ware he left thee bare, 

Sae tell nae mair of thy auld goodman. 

– 

SHE. 

Yes I may tell, and fret my sell, 

To think on these blyth days I had, 

When he and I together lay 

In arms into a well made bed. 

But now I sigh, and may be sad, 

Thy courage is cauld, thy colour wan, 

Thou falds thy feet, and fa’s asleep, 

And thou’lt ne’er be like my auld goodman. 

– 

Then coming was the night sae dark, 

And gane was a’ the light of day; 

The carle was fear’d to miss his mark, 

And therefore wad nae langer stay, 

Then up he gat, and he ran his way, 

I trow the wife the day she wan, 

And ay the o’erword of the fray 

Was ever, alake my auld goodman

Old Songs

Leave a Reply