The Book of Scottish Song/Bess the Gawkie
Bess the Gawkie.
[The humorous exposition of courtship in pastoral life is the production of the Rev. Dr. James Muirhead, minister of the parish of Urr in Galloway, who died in 1808, at the age of 68. It first appeared in Herd's Collection, in 1776.]
Blythe young Bess to Jean did say,
Will ye gang to yon sunny brae,
Whare flocks do feed, and herds do stray,
And sport awhile wi' Jamie?
Ah, na, lass! I'll no gang there,
Nor about Jamie tak' a care,
Nor about Jamie tak' a care,
For he's ta'en up wi' Maggie.
For hark, and I will tell you, lass,
Did I not see young Jamie pass,
Wi' meikle blytheness in his face,
Out owre the muir to Maggie?
I wat he ga'e her monie a kiss,
And Maggie took them nae amiss:
'Tween ilka smack pleas'd her wi' this,
"That Bess was but a gawkie.
"For when a civil kiss I seek,
She turns her head and thraws her cheek
And for an hour she'll hardly speak:
Wha'd no ca' her a gawkie?
But sure my Maggie has mair sense,
She'll gi'e a score without offence;
Now gi'e me ane into the mense,
And ye shall be my dawtie."
'O Jamie, ye ha'e monie ta'en,
But I will never stand for ane
Or twa when we do meet again,
So ne'er think me a gawkie.'
"Ah, na, lass, that canna be;
Sic thoughts as thae are far frae me,
Or onie thy sweet face that see,
E'er to think thee a gawkie."
But, whisht, nae mair o' this we'll speak,
For yonder Jamie does us meet:
Instead o' Meg he kiss'd sae sweet,
I trow he likes the gawkie.
"O dear Bess, I hardly knew,
When I cam' by your gown sae new;
I think you've got it wet wi' dew."
Quoth she, 'that's like a gawkie;
'It's wat wi' dew, and 'twill get rain,
And I'll get gowns when it is gane;
Sae ye may gaug the gate ye came,
And tell it to your dawtie.'
The guilt appear'd in Jamie's cheek:
He cried, "O cruel maid, but sweet,
If I should gang anither gate,
I ne'er could meet my dawtie."
The lasses fast frae him they flew,
And left poor Jamie sair to rue,
That ever Maggie's face he knew,
Or yet ca'd Bess a gawkie.
As they gade owre the muir they sang,
The hills and dales wi' echo rang,
The hills and dales wi' echo rang,
'Gang o'er the muir to Maggie.'