Scottish Songs
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SC O TTI SH S NG 0 O 4 , A SELECTI ON ogfi ‘rH E I I f : CH OI CE S T L YRI CS 01” SCO TLAN D OMPI ED AN D ARRAN G ED W ' H BRI E F N OTE S C L , U B Y 1 , / MARY CARLYLE AI FK EN ' A L LA N RA MSA Y fi lmmon A L L A N A N D M C M I C O . 1 8 7 4 R A E P EF C . T H E peculiar merits of the Songs of Scotland have so often been insisted upon, that little e a r emains for me here , exc pt to point out wh t my aim has been in adding one more to the r H r alr eady long list of p inted collections . ithe to compiler s have studied to have quantity r ather than quality ; there is not a suffi cient r e ex numbe of really xcellent Scottish Songs , ’ clusive Burn s s of , to fill more than a small volume ; so that the wheat has in few cases been r sepa ated from the chaff. I have inserted no song except such as I believed to be possessed of r r e eal me it ; and, at the same time, have chos n only those that have won their way to the hearts S r e -in of the cottish people , and dwelt the , ‘ e its lf a good test, for, as Goethe says , What has kept its place in the hearts of the people P RE FA CE . e even for twenty year s is pretty certain to hav ’ tru e m erit . e at m Th e smallness of th e spac my co mand , while allowing me to e xclude such as I d eem ed r e e e inferio , has comp ll d me to leav out many r e b e excell ent songs of Bu ns , whose nam will lovingly cherished as long as ther e are Scotch Mr . Car e a h earts in th e world . lyl s ys of him , It will s eem a small prais e if we r ank him as th e first of all our song-writer s , for w e know not wh er e to find on e worthy of b eing second im ’ r rr e a e to h . I should have p efe d to m k e thes e songs th e foundation of this coll ction , e r e ar e but th ey have been so oft n p int d, and so n a it h as e a a e well k own , th t b en thought dvis bl to introduce them r ath er as a spice than as th e ' ’ ' s s m e pzéce d e r é z m . a e r r e In the c s of a few of the olde songs , w itt n an a e a s -far a ua e e e in g , as l ng g is conc rn d at ea r e a our er a l st, mo rude th n own , wh e I h ve a th e ar er r not been ble to give e liest v sions enti e, a e an e a e a I h v chosen to omit ind lic t stanz , e e r th e e e r r t a wh n not d st oying s ns , athe h n sub s titute a r e r commonpl ce vulga iz d eadings of them . When th er e ar e changes th ey ar e for most part e a r n by the delicat m ste ly hand of Bur s . When A E P RE F C . vii ’ a f x n o author s n me is a fi ed to a song , it is becaus e it is unknown . Th e e not s , which have been made as short as are x e at th e possible, given in the te t , inst ad of n b e e d of the volume, and , it is hoped , may r more acceptable m that fo m . ar e an d Th e Songs divided into four parts , are i classed , as w ll be seen , according to subj ect , e not according to date , that arrangement b ing r th e the only one p acticable , for not only are dates of many of the gems unknown , but even r th e names of their author s have pe ished . In Part I . are such songs as are devoid, or almost devoid, of the comic element, viz . , r - for r se ious love songs , most part ly ical, what Wor dsworth would call Songs of the Affec ’ e er tions , an unsuitable nam h e, however, the r Scotch being by natu e a taciturn people, and m r f e e af ection seldom tempting them to sing . ar . In P t II are social and drinking songs , with which latter Scotland is abundantly sup plied . In this province , too , Burns has lavishly r i e pou ed out his splendid genius , w th a strang th e r h fatality, singing p aises of the Syren t at lured him to his own ruin . A E viii P RE F C . ar - a r la In Part III . e love songs of nothe c ss t r t th e a han the fi st, admi ting comic and j ovi l el ement . - I war . In Part V. ar e jacobit e and songs h tr e r e e I ave i d, by ca ful r ading, and by the us e i e r to of all the opportunit s in my powe , make an attractive volume of th e r eally good m r A r songs of y native count y. s to whethe I ee e o r e it r er have succ d d fail d, is fit that the ead , th not I , should be e judge . A M . C . C S Ma r cfi 1 8 . HEL EA, , 7 4 SCOTTISH SONG . ’ CA TH E YO WE S. ’ a C the yowes to the knowes , ‘ ’ a a C them whare the he ther grows, ’ a ar C them wh e the burnie rows, My bonnie dearie . a As I gaed down the w ter side, er e er Th e I met my sh ph d lad , ’ r ow d e H e me sw etly in his plaid, ’ An d he ca d me his dearie . a Will ye g ng down the water side , An d see the waves sae swe etly glide B e eneath the hazels spr ading wide, Th ’ e moon it shin es fu cl early . I was bred up at nae sic school , M er lad y sheph d , to play the fool ; ’ An d a the day to sit in dool, n A d naebody to see me . A S TTI SH S N G CO O . Ye shall get gowns and ribbons meet, r e Cauf leather shoon upon you f et, ’ n d e A in my arms ye s lie and sleep , r An d ye shall be my dea ie . ’ ’ If ye ll but stand to what ye ve said ’ ’ wi e I se gang you , my sh pherd lad nd r ow m e r A ye may in you plaid, n r A d I shall be your dea ie. While waters wimple to the sea, While day blinks in the lift sae hie ’ ’ T - c ill clay cauld death shall blin my c, Ye aye shall be my dearie . ” T s beaut u s on i s in the true old Scotc hi if l g h tas te. TH E E WE B U H T G S. -bu hts M Will ye gang to the ewe g , arion, ’ And wear-in the sh eep wi me ? Th e r sun shines sweet, my Ma ion, But no half sae sweet as thee. ’ O r e , Ma ion s a bonni lass , And ’ ’ the blythe blink s in her e e An d a fain wad I marry M rion, Gin Marion wad marry me . SCOTTI SH SON G. 3 ’ T er r r h e s gowd in your garte s , Ma ion, An d silk on your white haus -bane 3 F ’ M u fain wad I kiss my arion, ’ At e en when I come hame . ’ T Earnslaw r here s braw lads in , Ma ion, ’ a c Wha g pe, and glower with their c , At kirk when they see my Marion But nane of them loves like me . ’ - e I ve nine milk ew s, my Marion, A ra cow and a b wny quey, ’ ’ I ll gie them a to my Marion , - Just on her bridal day. ’ An d ye se get a green sey apron , ’ An d waistcoat 0 London broun ’ ’ ’ And wow but ye ll be vap rin ’ Whene er ye gang to the toun . ’ I m young and stout, my Marion, Nane dances like me on the green An d r gin ye fo sake me, Marion , ’ ’ ’ r wi I ll e en gae d aw up Jean . Sae r put on your pearlings , Ma ion, ’ And kirtle o cramasi e An d sune as my chin has nae hair on, an d .