Classic Poem

I LATELY lived in quiet ease,
— An' never wished to marry, O!
But when I saw my Peggy's face,
— I felt a sad quandary, O!
Though wild as ony Athol deer,
— She has trepanned me fairly, O!
Her cherry cheeks an' een sae clear
— Torment me late an' early, O!
— — O, love, love, love!
— — — Love is like a dizziness;
— — It winna let a poor body
— — — Gang about his biziness!

To tell my feats this single week
— Wad mak a daft-like diary, O!
I drave my cart out owre a dike,
— My horses in a miry, O!
I wear my stockings white an' blue,
— My love's sae fierce an' fiery, O!
I drill the land that I should pleugh,
— An' pleugh the drills entirely, O!

Ae morning, by the dawn o' day,
— I rase to theek the stable, O!
I cuist my coat, an' plied away
— As fast as I was able, O!
I wrought that morning out an' out,
— As I'd been redding fire, O!
When I had done an' looked about,
— Gudefaith, it was the byre, O!

Her wily glance I'll ne'er forget,
— The dear, the lovely blinkin' o't
Has pierced me through an' through the heart,
— An' plagues me wi' the prinkling o't.
I tried to sing, I tried to pray,
— I tried to drown 't wi' drinkin' o't,
I tried wi' sport to drive 't away,
— But ne'er can sleep for thinkin' o't.

Nae man can tell what pains I prove,
— Or how severe my pliskie, O!
I swear I'm sairer drunk wi' love
— Than ever I was wi' whiskey, O!
For love has raked me fore an' aft,
— I scarce can lift a leggie, O!
I first grew dizzy, then gaed daft,
— An' soon I'll dee for Peggy, O!