O what hae ye the nicht, luckie! —
O what hae ye the nicht? —
Hae ye onything in the aumrie
Wad gie fell hunger a fricht?
" There 's naething, " said she, " but a pickle o' broth —
A pickle o' broth an' a blade o' kail.
There 's nae red meat , nor a scart o' white ,
An' to drink, there 's never a drap o' ale . "

The hoose is shürely toom, luckie! —
The hoose is shurely toom! —
Hae ye naething wad comfort a boddie
That 's wrocht a' day at the loom?
" There 's maybe, " said she, " a herrin in saut —
That on a farel micht taste yer mou':
But butter there 's nane, nor o' dreepin ' a bit:
An' naething the day has come frae the coo. "

Ye 're unco bare the day, luckie! —
Ye 're shürely unco bare! —
A herrin' in saut an' a farel o' bread —
A boddie wad need something mair.
" Aweel, " said she, " there 's an ingan , I mind —
That an' a corner o' skim-milk cheese ;
An' meal as muckle 's mak' ye brose : —
I 'm no sae bare 's ye 're ill to please! "

Ye may be in the richt, luckie ,
Ye may be in the richt:
But I had thochts o' a collop o' flesh ,
Or the doup o' a hen the nicht.
" Content ye weel, " my luckie, she cried,
" Fell hunger 's the kitchen to claw the pan,
Yer red meat an' white meat 's but pride o' the e'e
In them mak' a god o' their belly , guidman —
In them mak' a god o' their belly! " — quo' she.