The Book of Scottish Song/Todlin' Hame 1

Todlin' Hame.

["This," says Burns, "is perhaps the first bottle-song that ever was composed." It appears in Ramsay's Tea-Table Miscellany, where it is marked as an old song.]

When I ha'e a saxpence under my thoom,
Then I get credit in ilka toun;
But, aye when I'm puir they bid me gang by;
Oh, poverty parts gude company!
Todlin' hame, todlin' hame,
Couldna my loove come todlin' hame.

Fair fa' the gudewife, and send her gude sale!
She gi'es us white bannocks to relish her ale,
Syne, if that her tippeny chance to be sma',
We tak' a gude scour o't, and ca't awa'.
Todlin' hame, todlin' hame,
As round as a neep come todlin' hame.

My kimmer and I lay down to sleep,
Wi' twa pint-stoups at our bed's feet;
And aye when we waken'd we drank them dry:—
What think ye o' my wee kimmer and I?
Todlin' butt, and todlin' ben,
Sae round as my loove comes todlin' hame.

Leeze me on liquor, my todlin' dow,
Ye're aye sae gude-humour'd when weetin' your mou'!
When sober sae sour, ye'll fecht wi' a flee,
That 'tis a blythe nicht to the bairns and me,
When todlin' hame, todlin hame,
When, round as a neep, ye come todlin hame.

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