The Book of Scottish Song/Genty Tibby

Genty Tibby.

[The following is Ramsay's song to the tune of "Tibbie Fowler o' the Glen." It resembles the same author's version of "Bessy Bell and Mary Gray," In the poet affecting to be in a dilemma as to which of two beauties he should choose. Ramsay's love-passion seems to have partaken much of Captain Macheath's liberal style of Worship:—

"How happy could I be with either!"]

Tibby has a store o' charms,
Her genty shape our fancy warms;
How strangely can her sma' white arms
Fetter the lad who looks but at her;
Fra'er ancle to her slender waste,
These sweets conceal'd invite to dawt her;
Her rosy cheek, and rising breast,
Gar ane's mouth gush bowt fu' o' water.

Nelly's gawsy, saft and gay,
Fresh as the lucken flowers in May;
Ilk ane that sees her, cries, Ah hey,
She's bonny! O I wonder at her.
The dimples of her chin and cheek,
And limbs sae plump invite to dawt her;
Her lips sae sweet, and skin sae sleek,
Gar mony mouths beside mine water.

Now strike my finger in a bore,
My wyson with the maiden shore,
Gin I can tell whilk I am for,
When these twa stars appear thegither.
O love! why does thou gi'e thy fires
Sae large, while we're oblig'd to neither?
Our spacious sauls immense desires,
And aye be in a hankerin' swither.

Tibby's shape and airs are fine,
And Nelly's beauties are divine:
But since they canna baith be mine,
Ye gods, give ear to my petition:
Provide a good lad for the tane,
But let it be with this provision,
I get the other to my lane,
In prospect plano and fruition.

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