by Patrick Birnie (flourished late 17th - early 18th centuries)

The auld man's mear
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
The auld man's mear's dead!
⁠The puir man's mear's dead!
⁠The auld man's mear's dead,
⁠A mile aboon Dundee!

She was cut-luggit, painch-lippit,
Steel-waimet, staincher-fittet,
Chanler-chaftit, lang-neckit,
⁠Yet the brute did dee!
⁠The auld,...

The auld man's mear's dead!
The puir man's mear's dead!
The peats, and neeps, and a' to lend,
⁠And she is gane - waes me!
⁠The auld, ...

The puir man's head's sair
Wi' greetin' for his gray mear;
He's like to dee himsel' wi' care,
⁠Aside the green kirk-yard.
⁠The auld, ...

He's thinkin' on the bygane days.
And a' her douce and canny ways:
And how his ain gudewife, auld Meg,
⁠Micht maist as weel been spaired.
⁠The auld, ...

Confirmed with, The Book of Scottish Song, edited by Alexander Whitelaw, Blackie and Son, Glasgow, 1843, page 128. This is the second version.


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Set in a modified version by Francis George Scott.


Researcher for this page: Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-11-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 112