SONGS OF SCOTLAND.

THE GABERLUNZIE MAN.

KING JAMES V,

Born 1512-Died 1542.

The pawky auld carle came o'er the lea,
Wi' many good e'ens and days to me,
Saying, Goodwife, for your courtesie,
Will ye lodge a silly poor man?
The night was cauld, the carl was wat,
And down ayont the ingle he sat;
My daughter's shoulders he 'gan to clap,
And cadgily ranted and sang.

O wow! quo' he, were I as free
As first when I saw this countrie,
How blyth and merry wad I be!

And I wad ne'er think lang.
He grew canty, and she grew fain;
But little did her auld minny ken

What these slee twa together were say'ng,

When wooing they were sae thrang.

Aad ! quo' he, an ye were as black
As 'er the crown of my daddy's hat,
'Tis I wad lay thee by my bak,

And awa' wi' me thou shou'd gang.
And O! quo' she, an I were as whyte,
As e'er the snaw lay on the dike,
I'd cleid me braw, and lady like,
And awa' with thee I'd gang.
Between the twa was made a plot;
They raise awee before the cock,
And wilily they shot the lock,

And fast to the bent are they gane.
Upon the morn the auld wife raise,
And at her leisure put on her claise;
Syne to the servant's bed she gaes,

To speer for the silly poor man.

She gaed to the bed where the beggar lay,
The strae was cauld, he was away,
She clapt her hand, cry'd, dulefuday,
For some of our gear will be gane.
Some ran to coffer, and some to kist,
But nought was stown, that cou'd be mist,
She danc'd her lane, cry'd, praise be blest,
I have lodg'd a leil poor man.

Since naething's awa', as we can learn,
The kirn's to kirn, and milk to earn,

Gae butt the house, lass, and waken my bairn,

And bid her come quickly benn.

The servant gade where the daughter lay,

The sheets were cauld, she was away,

And fast to her goodwife 'gan say,

She's aff with the Gaberlunzie-man.

O fy! gar ride, and fy gar rin,

And haste ye find these traitors again;
For she's be burnt, and he's be slain,

The wearifu' Gaberlunzie-man.
Some rade upo' horse, some ran a foot,
The wife was wude, and out o' her wit,
She cou'd na gang, nor yet cou'd she sit,
But ay did curse and did ban.

Meantime far hind out o'er the lea,
Fu' snug in a glen where nane could see,
The twa, with kindly sport and glee,
Cut frae a new cheese a whang.

The priving was good; it pleased them baith;
To lo'e her for ay, he gae her his aith:
Quo' she, to leave thee I will be laith,
My winsome Gaberlunzie-man.

O kend, my minnie, I were wi' you,
Ill-fardly wad she crook her mou',
Sic a poor man she'd never trow,
After the Gaberlunzie-man.

My dear, quo' he, ye're yet o'er young,
And ha' nae learned the beggar's tongue,
To follow me frae town to town,

And carry the gaberlunzie on.

Wi' cauk and keel I'll win your bread,
And spindles and whorles for them wha need,
Whilk is a gentle trade indeed,

To carry the gaberlunzie on.

I'll bow my leg, and crook my knee,
And draw a black clout o'er my ee;
A cripple, or blind, they will ca' me,
While we shall be merry and sing.

[This very graphic song is printed as the composition of James V. of Scotland-" a prince," says Percy," whose character for wit and libertinism bears a great resemblance to that of his gay successor Charles II. He was noted," the bishop adds, " for strolling about his dominions in disguise, and for his frequent gallantries with country girls. Two adventures of this kind he hath celebrated with his own pen, viz. in the Gaberlunzie-man, and The Jolly Beggar."

The verbal variations of the Gaberlunzie-man are very numerousthe Editor has been guided by George Chalmers' copy, printed in the Poetic Remains of the Scottish Kings, 1824.

"I know not where a more lively picture of living life, or a story of rustic intrigue, told with such naiveté and discretion is to be found." ALLAN CUNNINGHAM.]

THE JOLLY BEGGAR.

KING JAMES V.

There was a jolly beggar,

And a begging he was boun',
And he took up his quarters,
Into a landart town:

He wadna lie into the barn,
Nor wad he in the byre,
But in ahint the ha' door,
Or else afore the fire.

And we'll gang nae mair a roving,

A roving in the night;

We'll gang nae mair a roving,

Let the moon shine e'er so bright.

The beggar's bed was made at e'en,
Wi' gude clean straw and hay,
And in ahint the ha' door

'Twas there the beggar lay.

Up rose the gudeman's daughter,
All for to bar the door,

And there she saw the beggar-man
Standing on the floor.

He took the lassie in his arms,
Fast to the bed he ran-
O hoolie, hoolie wi' me, Sir,
Ye'll wauken our gudeman.
The beggar was a cunning loon,
And ne'er a word he spak-
But long afore the cock had crawn,
Thus he began to crack.

Is there any dogs into this town?
Maiden tell me true-

And what wad ye do wi' them
My hinny and my dow?
They'll rive a' my meal-powks,
And do me mickle wrang.—

O dool for the doing o't,
Are ye the puir man?

Then she took up the meal-powks,
And flang them o'er the wa',
The deil gae wi' the meal-powks
My maiden fame and a' :—
I took ye for some gentleman,
At least the Laird o' Brodie-
O dool for the dooin' o't,

Are ye the poor bodie?

He took the lassie in his arms,
And gae her kisses three,

And four-and-twenty hunder merk,
To pay the nurse's fee: