Robert Burns

         Country Lassie

                                            Robert Burns



In simmer when the hay was mawn, 
And corn wav'd green in ilka field, 
While claver blooms white o'er the lea,
And roses blaw in ilka beild; 
Blythe Bessie, in the milkin-shiel, 
Says, I'll be wed, come o't what will; 
Outspak a dame in wrinkled eild, 
O' gude advisement comes nae ill. 

Its ye hae wooers mony ane, 
And lassie, ye're but young ye ken; 
Then wait a wee, and canie wale,
A routhie butt, a routhie ben: 
There's Johnie o' the Buskieglen, 
Fu' is his barn, fu' is his byre; 
Take this frae me, my bonie hen, 
It's plenty beets the luver's fire. 

For Johnie o' the Buskieglen, 
I dinna care a single flie; 
He loes sae weel his craps and kye, 
He has nae love to spare for me: 
But blythe's the blink o' Robie's e'e, 
And weel I wat he loes me dear; 
Ae blink o' him I wad na gie 
For Buskie-glen and a' his gear. 

O thoughtless lassie, life's a faught, 
The canniest gate, the strife is sair; 
But aye fu' - han't is fechtin' best, 
A hungry care's an unco care: 
But some will spend and some will spare, 
An' wilfu' folk maun hae their will; 
Syne as ye brew, my maiden fair, 
Keep mind that ye maun drink the yill. 

O gear will buy me rigs o' land, 
And gear will buy me sheep and kye; 
But the tender heart o' leesome loove, 
The gowd and siller canna buy; 
We may be poor, Robie and I, 
Light is the burden Loove lays on; 
Content and Loove brings peace and joy,
What mair hae queens upon a throne.

This song was mentioned in a letter which Burns sent to George Thomson on 19 October 1794.