The Book of Scottish Song/The bride cam' out o' the byre

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The Book of Scottish Song (1843)
edited by Alexander Whitelaw
The bride cam' out o' the byre
2262958The Book of Scottish Song — The bride cam' out o' the byre1843Alexander Whitelaw

The bride cam' out o' the byre.

[The author of this song, to the tune of "Woo'd and married and a'," is unknown. It appears in Herd's collection of 1776, but is of much older date.]

The bride cam' out o' the byre,
And, O, as she dighted her cheeks!
Sirs, I'm to be married the night,
And have neither blankets nor sheets;
Have neither blankets nor sheets,
Nor scarce a coverlet too,
The bride that has a' thing to borrow,
Has e'en right muckle ado.
Woo'd and married, and a',
Married, and woo'd, and a'!
And was she nae very weel off,
That was woo'd, and married and a'?

Out spake the bride's father,
As he cam' in frae the pleugh,
O, haud your tongue, my dochter,
And ye'se get gear eneugh;
The stirk stands i' th' tether,
And our bra' bawsint yade,
Will carry ye hame your corn—
What wad ye be at, ye jade?

Out spake the bride's mither,
What deil needs a' this pride?
I had nae a plack in my pouch
That night I was a bride;
My gown was linsy-woolsy,
And ne'er a sark ava;
And ye ha'e ribbons and buskins,
Mae than ane or twa.

What's the matter, quo' Willie;
Though we be scant o' claes,
We'll creep the closer thegither,
And we'll smoor a' the fleas:
Simmer is coming on,
And we'll get taits o' woo;
And we'll get a lass o' our ain,
And she'll spin claiths anew.

Out spake the bride's brither,
As he came in wi' the kye;
Poor Willie wad ne'er ha'e ta'en ye,
Had he kent ye as weel as I;
For ye're baith proud and saucy,
And no for a poor man's wife;
Gin I canna get a better,
I'se ne'er tak' ane i' my life.

Out spake the bride's sister,
As she came in frae the byre;
O gin I were but married,
It's a' that I desire:
But we poor folk maun live single,
And do the best that we can;
I dinna care what I shou'd want
If I cou'd get but a man.