The Book of Scottish Song/The guid, guid wife

The guid, guid wife.

[Air, "Highland laddie."]

To ha'e a wife and rule a wife,
Taks a wise man, taks a wise man;
But to get a wife to rule a man,
O that ye can, O that ye can;
So the wife that's wise we aye maun prize,
For they're few ye ken, they're scarce ye ken;
O Solomon says ye'll no fin' ane,
In hundreds ten, in hundreds ten.

When a man's wed, it's often said,
He's aye o'er blate, he's aye o'er blate;
He strives to improve his first calf luve,
When it's o'er late, when it's o'er late.
Ye maun daut o' them and mak' o' them,
Else they'll tak' the barley-hood, the barley-hood;
Gin the hinny-moon wad ne'er gang dune,
They wad aye be guid, they wad aye be guid.

Gin ye marry whan ye're auld,
Ye will get jeers, ye will get jeers;
An' if she be a bonnie lass,
Ye may get fears, ye may get fears;
For gin she's tall; when she grows baul,
She'll crack your croun, she'll crack your croun;
An' gif ye plea wi' ane that's wee;
She'll pu' ye doun, she'll pu' ye doun.

Sae he that gets a guid, guid wife,
Gets gear aneugh, gets gear aneugh;
An' he that gets an ill, ill wife,
Gets cares aneugh, gets fears aneugh;
A man may spen' an' ha'e to the en',
If his wife be ought, if his wife be ought:
But a man may spare an' aye be bare,
If his wife be nought, if his wife be nought.

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