Braes of Birniebouzle (1820, Edinburgh)/Braes of Birniebouzle

by James Hogg

For other versions of this work, see Braes of Birniebouzle.

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BRAES OF BIRNIEBOUZLE.

Will ye gang wi’ me. lassie,
To the braes o' Birniebousle?
Baith the earth and sea, lassie.
Will I rob to send ye:
I'll hunt the otter and the brock,
The hart, the hare, the heather cock,
An' pu’ the limpet aff the rock.
To fatten and to send ye.

If ye gang wi' me, lassie,
To the braes o' Birnieboule,
Till the day ye die, lassie.
Ye shall aye hae plenty;
The peats I’ll carry in a skull,
The cod and line, wi’ lines I’ll pull,
An' reave the eggs o’ mony a gull,
To mak ye dishes dainty.

Sae cheery will ye be, lassie,
I’ the braes o’ Birniebousle;
Donald Gun and me, lassie.
Ever will attend ye.
Though we hae neither milk nor meal,
Nor lamb nor mutton, beef nor veal.
We’ll sang the porpy and the seal.
An’ that’s the way to send ye.

An’ ye shall gang sae braw, lassie,
At the kirk o’ Birniebouzle,
Wi’ lillet brogues an’ a’, lassie;
Wow but ye’ll be vaunty.
An’ ye shall wear, when ye are wed,
The kirtle and the highland plaid,
An’ sleep upon a heather bed.
Sae cozie and sae canty.

If ye will marry me, laddie,
At the kirk o’ Birniebouzle,
My chiefest aim shall be, laddie,
Ever to content ye.
I’ll beat the line and bear the pail;
And row the boat and spread the sail,
An’ dad the clotters wi’ a flail,
To make our taties dainty.

Then come awa wi’ me, lassie,
To the braes o’ Birniebouzle,
An’ since ye are sae-free, lassie.
Ye never shall repent ye;
For ye shall hae baith tups and ewes.
An gaits and swine, and stots an’ cows,
An’ be the lady o’ my house.
An’ this may weel content ye.

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