1: A beggar man come ower yon lea,
He wis seekin alms for charity;
He wis seekin lodgins for charity,
"Wad ye lodge a beggarman."
 Laddie wi ma tow row ray
2: The nicht it wis wat and the carle wis wat,
An doun by the ingle neuk he sat;
He keest his meal pyokes aff his back,
An aye he rantit an sang.
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
3: "When I wis black as I am white,
Like yon fell snaw ahint the dyke;
I'd dress masel fu beggar-like,
An awa wi you I'd gyang."
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
4: "O lassie, lassie, ye're far ower young,
And ye hanna got the cant tae the begging tongue;
Ye hanna got the cant tae the begging tongue,
An wi me you canna gyang."
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
5: "I'll boo ma back. I'll bend ma knee,
I'll pit a black patch ower ae ee;
And for a beggar they'll tak me,
An awa wi you I'll gyang."
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
6: So atween them twa they made up a plot,
They wid rise twa hours afore the lot;
And sae gently they did slip the lock,
And awa ower the fields they ran.
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
7: Noo early next mornin the aulwife rase,
And leisurely put on her claes;
She spiered tae the servant wid she gang,
And enquire for the silly aul man.
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
8: When the servant gaed whaur the beggar lay,
The strae wis caul and he wis awa;
So straight tae the aulwife she did say,
"Has ony o oor gweed gear gane?"
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
9: Some ran to the coffers and some to the kist,
But nothing wis stolen and nothing wis missed;
So she raised up her hands saying "Guid be blessed!
We've lodged an honest aul man."
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
10: When the servant gaed whaur the lassie lay,
The sheets were caul and she wis away;
So straight tae the aulwife she did say,
"She's awa wi the beggar man."
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
11: So some ran on horseback, ithers ran on fit,
Except for the aulwife, she wisnae fit;
But she hobbled aboot fae hip tae hip,
And aye she cursed and banned.
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
12: Noo a few years aifter, mebbe twa, mebbe three,
The same beggar man cam o'er yon lea;
An he cried, "Guidwife wi courtesy
Wad you lodge a beggar man?"
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
13: "A beggar, a beggar I nivver lodged but een,
And he ran awa wi ma dother Jean;
And he ran awa wi ma dother Jean,
And I canna tell you whence nor whaur."
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
14: "It's aulwifie, aulwifie what wad ye dee,
For anither ae sicht o yer Jeannie for tae see;
She's a bairn on her back an anither at her knee,
Aye an een on the wye comin hame."
Laddie wi ma tow row ray
15: "It's yonder is your dother comin tae your booer
In silks an satins, wi mony a flooer."
And she raised up her hands an she blessed the hour,
That she follaed the beggar man.
Laddie wi ma tow row ray |
keest = cast; meal pyoke = the sack used by a beggar for collecting meal or the like given in charity
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