The soldier laddie
Language: English
Come, rest ye here, Johnie,
what news frae the south?
Here's whey in a luggie
to slocken your drowth,
Our soldiers are landed,
my hopes are maist deeing,
I'm fear'd John to ask ye,
is Jamie in being?
Aye, troth, lass, they're landed,
and hameward they're coming,
In braw order marching,
wi' fifing and drumming:
I sell't my grey plaid,
my cauld winter's warm happin,
To cheer their leal hearts
wi' a gill and a chappin.
Your father's gudebrither,
the serjeant, wi' glee,
Pu'd a crown frae his pouch,
and loud laughing, quo' he,
Ye're owr auld to list,
or ye'd rug this fast frae me --
Mair drink here -- "but, John,
O nae word o' poor Jamie?"
The deil's i' the lassie,
there's nought in her noddle
But Jamie, ay Jamie,
she cares na ae boddle
For grey-headed heroes;
weel, what should I say now,
The lad's safe and weel,
what mair wad ye hae now?
He's weel! Gude be prais'd,
my dear laddie is weel!
Sic news! hech man, John,
ye're a sonsy auld cheel!
I'm doited -- I'm dais'd --
its fu' time I were rinnin,
The wark might be done
ere I think o' beginnin.
I'll rin like a mawkin,
and busk in my braws,
And link owr the hills
where the caller wind blaws,
And meet the dear lad,
wha was true to me ever,
And dorty nae mair --
O I'll part with him never!
Glossary
Luggie = small wooden dish with a handle
Drowth = to quench your thirst
Deeing = dying
Fear'd = afraid
Braw = fine
Sell't = sold
Plaid = rectangular length of twilled woollen cloth
Happin = outer garment
Leal = loyal
Gill = half an English pint
Chappin = an English quart
Gudebrither = brother-in-law
Rug = pull
There's nought in her noddle = there's nothing in her head
Boddle = one sixth of a penny
Auld cheel = jolly old fellow
Doited = crazy, as in old age
Dais'd = stupefied
Mawkin = hare
Busk in my braws = dress in my finest clothes
Link = walk quickly
Caller = fresh
Dorty = saucy
Submitted by Ferdinando Albeggiani
Authorship
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
Text added to the website: 2009-08-12.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:03:20
Line count: 48
Word count: 237
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