Classic Poem

O G ILDEROY was a bonny boy;
Had roses till his shoon;
His stockings were of silken soy,
Wi' garters hanging doon,
It was, I ween, a comely sicht,
To see sae trim a boy;
He was my joy, my heart's delicht,
My handsome Gilderoy.

O, sic twa charming een he had;
His breath as sweet's a rose;
He never wore a Highland plaid,
But costly silken clothes;
He gained the love of ladies gay,
Nane e'er to him was coy;
Ah, wae's me! I mourn the day,
For my dear Gilderoy.

My Gilderoy and I were born
Baith in a'e town thegether:
We scant were seven years before,
We 'gan to love each other,
Our daddies and our mammies, they
Were fill'd with meikle joy,
To think upon the bridal day
'Twixt me and Gilderoy.

For Gilderoy, that love of mine,
Gude faith, I freely bought
A wedding sark of holland fine,
Wi' silken flowers wrought,
And he gied me a wedding ring,
Which I received with joy;
Nae lad and lassie e'er could sing
Like me and Gilderoy.

Wi' meikle joy we spent our prime,
Till we were baith sixteen;
And aft we pass'd the langsome time
Amang the leaves sae green;
Aft on the banks we'd sit us there,
And sweetly kiss and toy;
Wi' garlands gay wad deck my hair,
My handsome Gilderoy.

O, that he still had been content
Wi' me to lead his life;
But ah, his manfu' heart was bent
To stir in feats of strife;
And he in many a venturous deed
His courage bald wad try,
And now this gars my heart to bleed
For my dear Gilderoy.

And when of me his leave he took,
The tears they wat mine e'e,
I gave him a love-parting look,
My benison gang wi' thee!
" God speed thee weel, mine ain dear heart.
For gane is all my joy;
My heart is rent sith we maun part,
My handsome Gilderoy. "

My Gilderoy baith far and near
Was fear'd in ilka toun,
And bauldly bear away the gear
Of mony a lowland loun;
Nane e'er durst meet him hand to hand,
He was say brave a boy;
At length wi' numbers he was ta'en
My handsome Gilderoy.

The Queen of Scots possessit noucht,
That my love lat me want;
For cow and ewe he to me brought,
And e'en when they were scant;
All those did honestly possess,
He never did annoy,
Who never failed to pay their cess
To my love Gilderoy.

Wae worth the loun that made the laws
To hang a man for gear!
To reave of life, for ox or ass,
For sheep, or horse, or mear.
Had not their laws been made so strict
I ne'er had lost my joy;
Wi' sorrow ne'er had wat my cheek,
For my dear Gilderoy.

Gif Gilderoy had done amiss,
He micht have banish'd been;
Ah, what sair cruelty is this,
To hang sic handsome men!
To hang the flower o' Scottish land,
Sae sweet and fair a boy!
Nae lady had sae white a hand
As thee, my Gilderoy!

Of Gilderoy sae fear'd they were,
They bound him meikle strong;
Till Edinburgh they led him there,
And on a gallows hung;
They hung him high abune the rest,
He was sae trim a boy;
There died the youth whom I loved best,
My handsome Gilderoy.

Thus having yielded up his breath,
I bore his corpse away;
Wi' tears that trickled for his death,
I washed his comely clay;
And siccar in a grave sae deep,
I laid the dear loved boy;
And now for ever maun I weep
For winsome Gilderoy.