Beneath the Willow Tree/Gude Forgi'e Me for Liein'
For other versions of this work, see Gude Forgi'e Me for Liein'.
Gude Forgi'e me for Liein'.
AE day a braw wooer came down the lang glenAnd sair wi' his love he did deave me;But I said, there was naething I hated like menThe duce tak' the lad to belive me.
A weel stocket mailen himself o't the laird,An' bridal aff han', was the proffer;I never loot on that I kend or I car'd,But I thought I might get a waur offer.
He spake o' the darts o' my bonny black-e'en;An' O, for my love he was diein'⟨I⟩ said he might die whan he lizet for Jean:The Gude forgi'e me for liein'.
But what do you think? in a fortnight or lessHe has a poor taste to gae near her)He's down to the castle to back cousin Bess;O, think how I could endure her.
An' a' the naist ouk as I fretted wi care,⟨I⟩ ga d to the tryst o' Dulgar ock;An' wha but my bra sickle wooer was there?Wha star'd as if he had seen a warlock.
⟨Out⟩ owre my left shouther I gied him ablink,⟨Lest⟩ neighbours shou'd say I was saucy,,My wooer he caper'd as he had been in drink,And vow'd that was his dear lassie.
⟨I⟩ speer d for my cousin, fu' couthy and sweet,And if she'd recovered her hearin':And how my auld shoon fitted her shachel'd feetGude saf us he fell a swearin'.
He begg'd me for gudesake that I'd be his wife,Or else I wad kill him wi' sorrow:And just to preserve the poor body in life,⟨I⟩ think I will wed him to morrow.