Cream of Tannahill's Songs (3)/The Lassie o' Merry Eighteen
For other versions of this work, see The Lassie o' Merry Eighteen.
THE LASSIE O' MERRY EIGHTEEN
My father wad ha'e me to marry the miller,My mither wad ha'e me te marry the laird,But brawly I ken it's the love e' the siller,That brightens their fancy to ony regard;The miller is creokit, the miller is crabbit,The laird, tho' he's wealthy, he's lyart and lean.He's auld, an' he's cauld, an' he's blin', an' he's baldAn' he's no for a lassie o' merry eighteen.
But O there's a laddie who tells me he le'es me,An' him I lo'e dearly, aye, dearly as life,Tho' father and mither sheuld scold an' abuse me,Nae ither shall ever get me for a wife;Although he can beast na o' land, nor yet siller,He's worth to match wi' a duchess or queen.For his heart is sae warm, an' sae stately his formAn' then, like mysel' he's just merry eighteen.