The Book of Scottish Song/The Rantin' Highlandman
The Rantin' Highlandman.
[Written by John Hamilton, for many years a musicseller and teacher of music in Edinburgh, and the composer of several melodies. He died at Edinburgh in September, 1814, aged 53.]
Ae morn, Last ouk, as I gaed out
To flit a tether'd yowe and lamb,
I met, as skiffing ower the green,
A jolly rantin' Highlandman.
His shape was neat, wi' feature sweet,
And ilka smile my favour wan;
I ne'er had seen sae braw a lad,
As this young rantin' Highlandman.
He said, My dear, ye're sune asteer;
Cam' ye to hear the laverock's sang?
O, wad ye gang and wed wi' me,
And wed a rantin' Highlandman?
In summer days, on flowery braes,
When frisky is the ewe and lamb,
I'se row ye in my tartan plaid,
And be your rantin' Highlandman.
With heather bells, that sweetly smells,
I'll deck your hair sae fair and lang,
If ye'll consent to scour the bent
Wi' me, a rantin' Highlandman.
We'll big a cot, and buy a stock,
Syne do the best that e'er we can;
Then come, my dear, ye needna fear
To trust a rantin' Highlandman.
His words sae sweet gaed to my heart,
And fain I wad ha'e gi'en my han',
Yet durstna, least my mother should
Dislike a rantin' Highlandman.
But I expect he will come back;
Then, though my kin' should scauld and ban,
I'll ower the hill, or where he will,
Wi' my young rantin' Highlandman.