Classic Poem

Bonny Anny Livieston
Went out to see the play;
By came the laird of Glenlion
And [he 's] ta'en hir quite away.

He set hir on a milk-white steed,
Himself upon a gray;
He 's te'en hir o'er the Highland hills
And ta'en hir quite away.

When they came to Glenlion's gate
The[y] lighted on the green;
There was mony a bonny lad and lass
To wolcome the lady hame.

They led hir through high towers and bowers
And through the buling-green,
And ay when they spake Erse to hir
The tears blinded hir e'en.

Says, The Highlands is no for me, kind sir,
The Highlands is no for me;
If that ye would my favour win
Take me unto Dundee.

Dundee, he says, Dundee, lady—
Dundee you shall never see;
Upon the laird of Glenlion
Soon wadded shall ye be.

When bells were rung and mass was sung
And all were bound for bed,
And bonny Annie Livieston
By hir bridegroom was laid;

It's O gin it were day, she says,
It's O gin it were day;
O if that it were day, she says,
Nae langer wad I stay.

Your horse stands in a good stable
Eating both corn and hay,
And you are in Glenlion's arms;
Why should ye weary for day?

Glenlion's arms are good enough,
But alais, the[y]'r no for me;
If that you would my fevour win
Taike me unto Dundee.

Bat fetch me paper, pen and ink,
And candle that I may see;
And I'll go write a long letter
To Geordie in Dundee.

Where will I get a bonny boy
That will win hose and shoon,
That will gang to my ain true-luve
And tell him what is done?

Then up then spake a bonny boy
Near to Glenlion's kin;
Says, Many time I hae gane his erand,
But the lady's I will rin.

O when he came to broken brigs
He bent his bow and swame,
And when he came to grass growing
Set down his feet and ran.

And when he came to Dundee gate
Lap clean outo'er the wa';
Before the porter was thereat
The boy was in the haa'.

What news, what news, bonny boy?
What news hes thou to me?
No news, no news, said bonny boy,
But a letter unto thee.

The first three lines he looked on,
A loud laughter gied he;
But or he wan to the hinder en'
The tears blinded his eie.

Gae saddle to me the black, he says,
Gae saddle to me the broun;
Gae saddle to me the swiftest steed
That e'er took man to towen.

He burst the black unto the slack,
The browen unto the brae,
But fair fa' on the siller-gray
That carried him ay away.

When he came to Glenlion's yett
He tirled at the pin,
But before that he wan up the stair
The lady she was gone.

O I can kiss thy cheeks, Annie,
O I can kiss thy chin;
O I can kiss thy clay-cold lips
Though there be no breath within.

Deal large at my love's buriell
The short bread and the wine,
And gin the morn at ten o' clock
Ye may deal as mukle at mine.

The taen was biried in Mary's kirk,
The tither in St Mary's quire,
And out of the taen there grew a birk
And the ither a bonny brier.

And ay they grew, and ay they threw,
Till they did meet aboon;
And a' that ere the same did see
Knew they had true lovers been.