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The Laird o Drum

No: 236; variant: 236D

  1. THE laird o Drum is a hunting gane, All in a morning early, And he did spy a well-far'd may, Was shearing at her barley.
  2. 'O will ye fancy me, fair may, And let your shearing be, O And gang and be the lady o Drum? O will ye fancy me?' O
  3. 'I winna fancy you,' she says, 'Nor let my shearing be; For I'm ower low to be Lady Drum, And your miss I'd scorn to be.'
  4. 'But ye'll cast aff that gown o grey, Put on the silk and scarlet; I'll make a vow, and keep it true, You'll neither be miss nor harlot.'
  5. 'Then dee you to my father dear, Keeps sheep on yonder hill; To ony thing he bids me do I'm always at his will.'
  6. He has gane to her father dear, Keeps sheep on yonder hill: 'I'm come to marry your ae daughter, If ye'll gie me your gude will.'
  7. 'She'll shake your barn, and winna your corn, And gang to mill and kill; In time of need she'll saddle your steed; And I'll draw your boots mysell.'
  8. 'O wha will bake my bridal bread, And wha will brew my ale, And wha will welcome my lady hame, It's mair than I can tell.'
  9. Four and twenty gentle knights Gied in at the yetts o Drum; But nae a man lifted his hat Whan the lady o Drum came in.
  10. But he has taen her by the hand, And led her but and ben; Says, You'r welcome hame, my lady Drum, For this is your ain land.
  11. For he has taen her by the hand, And led her thro the ha; Says, You'r welcome hame, my lady Drum, To your bowers ane and a'.
  12. Then he['s] stript her o the robes o grey, Drest her in the robes o gold, And taen her father the sheep-keeping, Made him a bailie bold.
  13. She wasna forty weeks his wife Till she brought hame a son; She was as well a loved lady As ever was in Drum.
  14. Out it speaks his brother dear, Says, You've dune us great wrang; You've married a wife below your degree, She's a mock to all our kin.
  15. Out then spake the Laird of Drum, Says, I've dune you nae wrang; I've married a wife to win my bread, You've married ane to spend.
  16. 'For the last time that I was married, She was far abeen my degree; She wadna gang to the bonny yetts o Drum But the pearlin abeen her ee, And I durstna gang in the room where she was But my hat below my knee.'
  17. When they had eaten and well drunken, And all men bound for bed, The Laird o Drum and his lady gay In ae bed they were laid.
  18. 'Gin ye had been o high renown, As ye are o low degree, We might hae baith gane down the streets Amang gude companie.'
  19. 'I tauld you ere we were wed You were far abeen my degree; But now I'm married, in your bed laid, And just as gude as ye.
  20. 'Gin ye were dead, and I were dead, And baith in grave had lain, Ere seven years were at an end, They'd not ken your dust frae mine.'