Classic Poem

It was on an evning sae saft and sae clear
A bonny lass was milking the kye,
And by came a troup of gentlemen,
And rode the bonny lassie by.

Then one of them said unto her,
‘Bonny lass, prythee shew me the way:’
‘O if I do sae, it may breed me wae,
For langer I dare nae stay.’


But dark and misty was the night
Before the bonny lass came hame:
‘Now where hae you been, my ae doughter?
I am sure you was nae your lane.’

‘O father, a tod has come oer your lamb,
A gentleman of high degree,
And ay whan he spake he lifted his hat,
And bonny, bonny blinkit his ee.’

Or eer six months were past and gane,
Six months but and other three,
The lassie begnd for to fret and to frown,
And think lang for his blinkin ee.

‘O wae be to my father's shepherd,
An ill death may he die!
He bigged the bughts sae far frae hame,
And trysted a gentleman to me!’

It fell upon another fair evening
The bonny lassie was milking her ky,
And by came the troop of gentlemen,
And rode the bonny lassie by.

Then one of them stopt, and said to her,
‘Whae 's aught that baby ye are wi?’
The lassie began for to blush, and think,
To a father as good as ye.

‘O had your tongue, my bonny may,
Sae loud I hear you lie!
O dinnae you mind the misty night
I was in the bught with thee?’

Now he 's come aff his milk-white steed,
And he has taen her hame:
‘Now let your father bring hame the ky,
You neer mair shall ca them agen.

‘I am a lord of castles and towers,
With fifty ploughs of land and three,
And I have gotten the bonniest lass
That is in this countrie.’