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Hills o' Gallowa/Sic a Wife as Willie Had

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For other versions of this work, see Willie Wastle.
4645655Hills o' Gallowa — Sic a Wife as Willie HadRobert Burns (1759-1796)

SIC A WIFE AS WILLIE HAD.

Willie Wastle dwalt on Tweed,
The spot they ca'd it Linkumdoddie,
Willie was a wabster gude,
Cou'd stown a clue wi' ony body.

He had a wife was door and din,
O Tinker Maggie was her mither;
Sic a wife as Willie had,
I wadna gae a button for her.

She has an ee, she has but ane,
The cat has twa the very colour;
Five rusty teeth, forbye a stump,
A clapper tongue wad deave a miller;
A whiskin beard about her mou,
Her nose and chin they threaten ither.

She's bow-hough'd she's hein shin'd,
Ae limpin leg a hand breed shorter;
She's twisted right, she's twisted left,
To balance fair in ilka quarter:
She has a humph upon her breast,
The twin o' that upon her shouther.

Auld baudrans by the ingle sits,
and wi' her loof her face a washin';
But Willie's wife is nae sae trig,
She dights her grunzie wi' a hushion;
Her walie nieves like midden-creels.
Her face wad fyle the Logan water.