Lady Grisel Baillie.

1665-1746

441   Werena my Heart licht I wad dee

THERE ance was a may,¹ and she lo’ed na men;
She biggit² her bonnie bow’r doun in yon glen;
But now she cries, Dool and a well-a-day!
Come doun the green gait³ and come here away!

When bonnie young Johnnie cam owre the see,
He said he saw naething sae lovely as me;
He hecht⁴ me baith rings and mony braw things—
And werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee.

He had a wee titty⁵ that lo’ed na me,
Because I was twice as bonnie as she;
She raised sic a pother ’twixt him and his mother
That werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee.

The day it was set, and the bridal to be:
The wife took a dwam⁶ and lay doun to dee;
She maned and she graned out o’ dolour and pain,
Till he vow’d he never wad see me again.

His kin was for ane of a higher degree,
Said—What had he do wi’ the likes of me?
Appose⁷ I was bonnie, I wasna for Johnnie—
And werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee.

They said I had neither cow nor calf,
Nor dribbles o’ drink rins thro’ the draff,
Nor pickles⁸ o’ meal rins thro’ the mill-e’e—
And werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee.

His titty she was baith wylie and slee:
She spied me as I cam owre the lea;
And then she ran in and made a loud din—
Believe your ain e’en, an ye trow not me.

His bonnet stood ay fu’ round on his brow,
His auld ane look’d ay as well as some’s new:
But now he lets ’t wear ony gait it will hing,⁹
And casts himsel dowie¹⁰ upon the corn bing.

And now he gaes daund’ring about the dykes,
And a’ he dow do is to hund¹¹ the tykes:
The live-lang nicht he ne’er steeks¹² his e’e—
And werena my heart’s licht, I wad dee.

Were I but young for thee, as I hae been,
We should hae been gallopin’ doun in yon green,
And linkin¹³’ it owre the lily-white lea—
And wow, gin I were but young for thee!