The Book of Scottish Song/The grass had nae freedom

The grass had nae freedom.

[Written by Mrs. Scott of Dumbartonshire to the tune of "Woo'd and married and a'," and inserted in Cromok's Select Scottish Songs, 1810.]

The grass had nae freedom o' growin'
As lang as she wasna awa',
Nor in the toun could there be stowin'
For wooers that wanted to ca'.
Sic boxin', sic brawlin', sic dancin',
Sic bowin' and shakin' a paw;
The toun was for ever in brulyies:
But now the lassie's awa'.
Wooed, and married, and a',
Married, and wooed, and a';
The dandalie toast of the parish,
She's wooed, and she's carried awa'.

But had he a' kenn'd her as I did,
His wooin' it wad ha'e been sma':
She kens neither bakin', nor brewin',
Nor cardin', nor spinnin' ava;
But a' her skill lies in her buskin':
And, O, if her braws were awa',
She sune wad wear out o' fashion,
And knit up her huggers wi' straw.

But yesterday I gaed to see her,
And, O, she was bonnie and braw;
She cried on her gudeman to gi'e her
An ell o' red ribbon or twa.
He took, and he set down beside her
A wheel and a reel for to ca';
She cried, Was he that way to guide her?
And out at the door and awa'.

The first road she gaed was her mither,
Wha said, Lassie, how gaes a'?
Quo' she, Was it for nae ither
That I was married awa',
But to be set down to a wheelie,
And at it for ever to ca'?
And syne to hae't reel'd by a chieldie
That's everly crying to draw.

Her mither said till her, Hech, lassie!
He's wisest, I fear, o' the twa;
There'll be little to put in the tassie,
Gif ye be sae backward to draw;
For now ye should work like a tiger,
And at it baith wallop and ca',
Sae lang's ye ha'e youdith and vigour,
And weanies and debt keep awa'.

Sae swift away hame to your haddin';
The mair fule ye e'er came awa'
Ye maunna be ilka day gaddin',
Nor gang sae white-finger'd and braw;
For now wi' a neebor ye're yokit,
And wi' him should cannilie draw;
Or else ye deserve to be knockit—
So that's an answer for a'.

Young luckie thus fand hersell mither'd,
And wish'd she had ne'er come awa';
At length wi' hersell she consider'd,
That hameward 'twas better to draw,
And e'en tak' a chance o' the landin',
However that matters might fa':
Folk maunna on freits aye be standin',
That's wooed, and married, and a'.

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