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The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volumes 1-6.: The Songs of Scotland of the Past Half Century

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The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volumes 1-6.: The Songs of Scotland of the Past Half Century

Scotland -- Poetry; Scottish Gaelic poetry -- Translations into English; Songs, Scottish Gaelic -- Texts

Her mither ware a tabbit mutch,
          Her father was an honest dyker,
        She 's a black-eyed wanton witch,
          Ye winna shaw me mony like her:
        So a' the lads are wooing at her,
          Courting her, but canna get her;
    Bonny Lizzy Liberty, wow, sae mony 's wooing at her!


                        III.

        A kindly lass she is, I 'm seer,
          Has fowth o' sense and smeddum in her,
        And nae a swankie far nor near,
          But tries wi' a' his might to win her:
        They 're wooing at her, fain would hae her,
          Courting her, but canna get her;
    Bonny Lizzy Liberty, there 's ow'r mony wooing at her!


                        IV.

        For kindly though she be, nae doubt,
          She manna thole the marriage tether,
        But likes to rove and rink about,
          Like Highland cowt amo' the heather:
        Yet a' the lads are wooing at her,
          Courting her, but canna get her;
    Bonny Lizzy Liberty, wow, sae mony 's wooing at her.


                        V.

        It 's seven year, and some guid mair,
          Syn Dutch Mynheer made courtship till her,
        A merchant bluff and fu' o' care,
          Wi' chuffy cheeks, and bags o' siller;
        So Dutch Mynheer was wooing at her,
          Courting her, but cudna get her;
    Bonny Lizzy Liberty has ow'r mony wooing at her.


                        VI.

        Neist to him came Baltic John,
          Stept up the brae, and leukit at her,
        Syne wear his wa', wi' heavy moan,
          And in a month or twa forgat her:
        Baltic John was wooing at her,
          Courting her, but cudna get her;
    Filthy elf, she 's nae herself, wi' sae mony wooing at her.


                        VII.

        Syne after him cam' Yankie Doodle,
          Frae hyne ayont the muckle water;
        Though Yankie 's nae yet worth a boddle,
          Wi' might and main he would be at her:
        Yankie Doodle 's wooing at her,
          Courting her, but canna get her;
    Bonny Lizzy Liberty, wow, sae mony 's wooing at her.


                        VIII.

        Now Monkey French is in a roar,
          And swears that nane but he sall hae her,
        Though he sud wade through bluid and gore,
          It 's nae the king sall keep him frae her:
        So Monkey French is wooing at her,
          Courting her, but canna get her;
    Bonny Lizzy Liberty has ow'r mony wooing at her.


                        IX.

        For France, nor yet her Flanders' frien',
          Need na think that she 'll come to them;
        They 've casten aff wi' a' their kin,
          And grace and guid have flown frae them;
        They 're wooing at her, fain wad hae her,
          Courting her, but canna get her;
    Bonny Lizzy Liberty, wow, sae mony 's wooing at her.


                        X.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volumes 1-6.: The Songs of Scotland of the Past Half Century

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