The Book of Scottish Song/My heart's my ain

My heart’s my ain.

[This very sensible ditty of a young maiden was first printed in Herd's collection of 1776. It is adapted to a tune called "We'll kick the world before us."]

'Tis no very lang sinsyne,
That I had a lad o' my ain;
But now he's awa' to anither,
And left me a' my lane.
The lass he is courting has siller,
And I ha'e nane at a',
And 'tis nought but the love o' the tocher
That's tane my lad awa'.

But I'm blythe that my heart's my ain,
And I'll keep it a' my life,
Until that I meet wi' a lad,
Wha has sense to wale a good wife.
For though I say't mysel',
That should nae say't, 'tis true,
The lad that gets me for a wife
He'll ne'er ha'e occasion to rue.

I gang aye fu' clean and fu' tosh,
As a' the neighbours can tell,
Though I've seldom a gown on my back,
But sic as I spin mysel';
And when I'm clad in my curtsey,
I think mysel' as braw
As Susie, wi' her pearling,
That's tane my lad awa'.

But I wish they were buckl'd thegither,
And may they live happy for life;
Though Willie now slights me, an's left me,
The chiel he deserves a gudewife.
But, O! I am blythe that I miss'd him,
As blythe as I weel can be;
For ane that's sae keen o' the siller,
Would never agree wi' me.

But the truth is, I am aye hearty,
I hate to be scrimpit or scant;
The wee thing I ha'e I'll mak' use o't,
And there's nane about me shall want:
For I'm a gude guide o' the warld,
I ken when to haud and to gi'e;
But whinging and cringing for siller
Would never agree wi' me.

Contentment is better than riches,
And he wha has that has enough;
The master is seldom sae happy
As Robin that drives the plough.
But if a young lad wad cast up,
To mak' me his partner for life,
If the chiel has the sense to be happy,
He'll fa' on his feet for a wife.

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