by Sir Alexander Boswell (1775 - 1822)
The auld gudeman
Language: English
LAIRD I'll hae my coat o' gude snuff brown, My pouther'd wig to cou'r my crown, I'll deck me, Meg, and busk me fine, I'm ga'n to court a tocher'd quean. MEG Your hosens, Laird, are baith to darn, Your best sark's bleachin', (that's but harn), Your coat's a' stour, your wig's to kame, Troth, Laird, ye better bide at hame. LAIRD And Punch will carry Jock, the lad, I'll ride mysel' the lang tail'd yad, Wi' pistols at my saddle-tree, Well mounted, as a Laird should be. MEG There's peats to cast, the hay's to cuile, The yad's run owr the muir a mile, The saddle's stoun, and Punch is lame; 'Deed, Laird, ye better bide at hame. Think, Laird, a wee, and look about, Your gear's a' thrivin', in and out -- I'm wae to see you courting dule, Wha kens but this same quean's a fool. LAIRD Aye, ay, your drift's no ill to tell, Ye fain wad hae me, Meg, yoursel'; But, sure as Blutterbog's my name, I'll court the lass, and bring her hame.
Glossary
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
Muirland = moorland
Laird = man of landed property
Pouther'd = powdered
Cou'r cover
Busk = dress
Quean = a buxom lass who has a dowry
Sark's = shirt
Harn = coarse linen
Stour = covered in dust
Kame = comb
Bide = stay
Yad = mare
Stoun = stolen
Wee = little
Gear's = goods, riches
Dule = sorrow
Authorship:
- by Sir Alexander Boswell (1775 - 1822) [author's text checked 1 time 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), "The auld gudeman", subtitle: "A dialogue between a muirland laird and Meg his housekeeper", JHW. XXXII/3 no. 233, Hob. XXXIa no. 184. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2009-08-27
Line count: 29
Word count: 178