Bonny Baby Livingston
No: 222; variant: 222C
- FOUR-AND-TWENTY ladies fair
Was playing at the ba,
And out cam Barbra Livingston,
The flower amang them a'.
- Out cam Barbra Livingston,
The flower amang them a';
The lusty laird o Linlyon
Has stown her clean awa.
- 'The Hielands is no for me, kind sir,
The Hielands is no for me;
But, if you wud my favour win,
You'll tak me to Dundee.'
- 'The Hielands'll be for thee, my dear,
The Hielands will be for thee;
To the lusty laird o Linlyon
A-married ye shall be.'
- When they came to Linlyon's yetts,
And lichted on the green,
Every ane spak Earse to her,
The tears cam trinkling down.
- When they went to bed at nicht,
To Linlyon she did say,
'Och and alace, a weary nicht!
Oh, but it's lang till day!'
- 'Your father's steed in my stable,
He's eating corn and hay,
And you're lying in my twa arms;
What need you long for day?'
- 'If I had paper, pen, and ink,
And candle for to see,
I wud write a lang letter
To my love in Dundee.'
- They brocht her paper, pen, and ink,
And candle for to see,
And she did write a lang letter
To her love in Dundee.
- When he cam to Linlyon's yetts,
And lichtit on the green,
But lang or he wan up the stair
His love was dead and gane.
- 'Woe be to thee, Linlyon,
An ill death may thou die!
Thou micht hae taen anither woman,
And let my lady be.'