by Allan Ramsay (1686 - 1758)
Maggie's tocher
Language: English
The meal was dear short syne, We buckled us a' thegither; And Maggie was in her prime, When Willie made courtship till her. Twa pistols charg'd beguess, To gie the courting shot, And syne came ben the lass, Wi' swats drawn frae the butt. He first speer'd at the guidman, And syne at Giles, the mither, An ye wad gi's a bit land, We'd buckle us e'en thegither. Your tocher's be good enough, For that ye need na fear, Twa good stilts to the pleugh, And ye yoursell maun steer: Ye sall ha'e twa good pocks That ance were o' the tweel; The t'ane to had the groats, The ither to had the meal; Wi' an auld kist made o' wands, And that sall be your coffer, Wi' aiken woody bands, And that may had your tocher.
GLOSSARY
Meal = oatmeal
Dear short syne = not long before
Syne = then
Came ben = came into the parlour
Swats = newly brewed weak beer
Speer'd = asked, enquired
Guidman = master of the house
Tocher's = dowry, marriage-portion
Stilts = handles of a plough
Maun = must
Pocks = sacks
Tweel = twilled fabric
Had = hold
Groats = coins
Wands = pliable sticks cut from a young tree
Aiken = oak
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
Meal = oatmeal
Dear short syne = not long before
Syne = then
Came ben = came into the parlour
Swats = newly brewed weak beer
Speer'd = asked, enquired
Guidman = master of the house
Tocher's = dowry, marriage-portion
Stilts = handles of a plough
Maun = must
Pocks = sacks
Tweel = twilled fabric
Had = hold
Groats = coins
Wands = pliable sticks cut from a young tree
Aiken = oak
Authorship:
- by Allan Ramsay (1686 - 1758) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "Maggie's tocher", JHW. XXXII/1 no. 86, Hob. XXXIa no. 86. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2012-08-14
Line count: 24
Word count: 137