The Book of Scottish Song/Meg o' Marley

Meg o' Marley.

[James Hogg.]

O ken ye Meg o' Marley glen,
The bonny blue-e'ed dearie?
She's play'd the deil amang the men,
An' a' the land's grown eery.
She's stown the "Bangor" frae the clerk,
An' snool'd him wi' the shame o't;
The minister's fa'n through the text,
An' Meg gets a' the blame o't.

The ploughman ploughs without the sock;
The gadman whistles sparely;
The shepherd pines amang his flock,
An' turns his e'en to Marley;
The tailor lad's fa'n ower the bed;
The cobler ca's a parley;
The weaver's neb's out through the web,
An' a' for Meg o' Marley.

What's to be done, for our gudeman
Is flyting late an' early?
He rises but to curse an' ban,
An' sits down but to ferly.
But ne'er had love a brighter lowe
Than light his torches sparely
At the bright e'en an' blythesome brow
O' bonny Meg o' Marley.

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