The Book of Scottish Song/The Happy Mother

The Happy Mother.

[Alex. Laing of Brechin.]

An' O, may I never live single again—
I wish I may never live single again;
I ha'e a gudeman, an' a hame o' my ain,
An' O, may I never live single again.
I've twa bonnie bairns the fairest of a',
They cheer up my heart when their daaddie's awa';
I've ane at my foot, and I've ane on my knee;
An' fondly they look, an' say "Mammie" to me.

At gloamin' their daddie comes in frae the plough,
The blink in his e'e, an' the smile on his brow,
Says, "how are ye, lassie, O, how are ye a',
An' how's the wee bodies sin' I gade awa'?"
He sings i' the e'enin' fu' cheery an' gay—
He tells o' the toil an' the news o' the day:
The twa bonnie lammies he tak's on his knee,
An' blinks o'er the ingle fu' couthie to me.

O happy's the father that's happy at hame—
An' blythe is the mither that's blythe o' the name;
The cares o' the warld they fear na to dree—
The warld is naethirg to Johnny an' me.
Though crosses will mingle wi' mitherly cares,
Awa' bonnie lassies—awa' wi' your fears;
Gin ye get a laddie that's loving an' fain,
Ye'll wish ye may never live single again.

---