Rob Roy
No: 225; variant: 225D
- ROB ROY from the Highlands came
Unto the Lowland border;
It was to steal a ladie away,
To keep his house in order.
- He gae her nae time to dress herself
Like a lady that was to be married,
But he hoisd her out among his crew,
And rowd her in his plaidie.
- 'Will ye go wi me, my dear?' he says,
'Will ye go wi me, my honey?
Will ye go wi me, my dear?' he says,
'For I love you best of ony.'
- 'I winna be your dear,' she says,
'Nor I'll never be your honey;
I'll never be your wedded wife,
For you love me but for my money.'
- He hoisd her out among his crew,
She holding by her mother;
Wi watry eyes and mournfu cries
They parted from each other.
- As they gaed oer yon high hill,
The ladie often fainted;
'Oh, wae be to my gold,' she said,
'This road for me invented!'
- Two held her up before the priest,
And two put her to bed,
Wi mournful cries and watry eyes
As she lay by his side.
- 'Be content, be content,
Be content wi me, ladie,
For now you are my wedded wife
Until the day ye die, ladie.
- 'Rob roy was my father calld,
McGrigor was his name, ladie,
And a' the country round about
Has heard of Roy's fame, ladie.
- 'You do not think yourself a match
For such a one as I, ladie;
But I been east and I been west,
And saird the king of France, ladie.
- 'And now we hear the bag-pipe play,
And we maun hae a dance, ladie,
And a' the country round about
Has heard of Roy's fame, ladie.
- 'Shake your foot, shake your foot,
Shake your foot wi me, ladie,
For now you are my wedded bride
Until the day ye die, ladie.
- 'My father dealt in cows and ewes,
Likewise in goats and sheep, ladie,
And a' the country round about
Has heard of Roy's fame, ladie.
- 'And ye have fifty thousand marks,
Makes me a man compleat, ladie.
Why mayn't I maid
May I not ride in state, ladie?
- 'My father was a Highland laird,
Altho he be now dead, ladie,
And a' the country round about
Has heard of Roy's fame, ladie.'