Bonny Mally Stewart (1823)/Tak your auld cloak about ye

TAK YOUR AULD CLOAK ABOUT YE.

In winter when the rain rain'd cauld,
And frost and snaw on ilka hill,
And Boreas wi' his blast sae bauld.
Was threat'ning a' our kye to kill,
Then Bell my wife wha lo'es nae strife.
She said to me right hastily,
Get up gudeman save Crummy's life,
And tak your auld clock about ye.

My crummy is a useful cow
And she is come of a guid kin;
Aft has she wet the bairn's mou',
And I am laith that she should tine;
Get up gudeman it is full time,
The sun shines in the lift sae hie,
Sloth never made a gracious end,
Gae tak your auld cloak about ye.

My cloak was ance a gude gray cloak,
When it was fitting for my wear;
But now its scarcely worth a groat,
For I have worn it this thretty year,
Let's spend the gear that we hae won,
We little ken the day we'll die;
Then I'll be proud, since I hae sworn,
To have a new cloak about me.

In days when our king Robert rang.
His trews they cost but half-a-crown
He said they were a groat o'er dear.
And ca'd the tailor thief and lown,
He was the king that wore a crown,
And thou a man of laigh degree;
'Tis pride puts a the country down,
Sae tak your auld cloak about ye.

Every land has its ain laugh,
Ilk kind of corn has it's ain hole;
I think the warld is a' run wrang,
When ilka wife her man wad rule,
Do you not see Pab. Jack and Hab,
How they are girded gallantly?
While I sit hurklin in the ase—
I'll have a new cloak about me.

Gudeman I wat 'tis thretty years,
Sin' we did ane anither ken;
And we have had, between us twa,
Of lads and bonny lassies ten:
Now they are women grown and men,
I wish and pray weel may they be,
And if you prove a good husband,
E'en tak your auld cloak about ye.

Bell my wife, she lo'es nae strife;
Bnt she wad guide me if she can;
And to maintain an easy life,
I aft maun yield, tho' I’m gudeman,
Nought's to be won at woman's hand,
Unless ye gie her a' the plea,
Then I'll leave aff where I began,
And tak your auld cloak about ye.

FINIS.