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by James Muirhead (flourished 1705-1710 )

Bess the Gawkie
Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Blithe young Bess to Jean did say,
Will ye gang to yon sunny brae,
Where flocks do feed and herds do stray,
And sport awhile wi' Jamie?
Ah na, lass! I'll no gang there,
Nor about Jamie tak' a care,
For he's taken up wi' Maggie.

For hark, and I will tell you lass:
Did I not see young Jamie pass
Wi' meickle gladness on his face
Out o'er the muir to Maggie?
I wot he gave her mony a kiss,
And Maggie took them ne'er amiss,
I ween ilka smack pleas'd her with this:
That Bess was but a gawkie.

Then lasses fast frae him they flew
And left poor Jamie fair to rue
That ever Maggie's face he knew,
Or yet ca'd Bess a gawkie.
As they went o'er the muir they sang;
The hills and dales wi' echoes rang,
Gang o'er the muir to Maggie.

Text Authorship:

  • by James Muirhead (flourished 1705-1710 ) [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 Harriet Abrams (1760 - 1825), "Bess the Gawkie", published c1795 [ three-part chorus a cappella ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2023-12-18
Line count: 22
Word count: 148

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