AULD ROBIN GRAY

When the sheep are in the fauld, and the kye [155] at hame,

And a' the warld to rest are gane,

The waes o' my heart fa' in showers frae my e'e,

While my gudeman [156] lies sound by me.

Young Jamie lo'ed me weel, and sought me for his bride,

But saving a croun he had naething else beside:

To make the croun a pund, young Jamie gaed to sea,

And the croun and the pund were baith for me.

He hadna been awa a week but only twa,

When my father brak his arm, and the cow was stown awa;

My mother she fell sick, and my Jamie at the sea—

And auld Robin Gray came a-courtin' me.

My father couldna work, and my mother couldna spin;

I toiled day and night, but their bread I couldna win;

Auld Rob maintained them baith, and wi' tears in his e'e

Said:—"Jennie, for their sakes, O, marry me!"

My heart it said nay; I look'd for Jamie back;

But the wind it blew high, and the ship it was a wrack;

His ship it was a wrack.... Why didna Jamie dee?

Or why do I live to cry, Wae's me?

My father urgit sair: my mother didna speak,

But she looked in my face till my heart was like to break:

They gi'ed him my hand, but my heart was at the sea,

Sae auld Robin Gray he was gudeman to me.

I hadna been a wife a week but only four,

When, mournfu' as I sat on the stane at the door,

I saw my Jamie's wraith, for I couldna think it he—

Till he said:—"I'm come hame to marry thee."

O, sair, sair did we greet,[157] and muckle [158] did we say;

We took but ae kiss, and I bad him gang away;

I wish that I were dead, but I'm no like to dee,

And why was I born to say, Wae's me!

I gang like a ghaist, and I carena to spin;

I daurna think on Jamie, for that wad be a sin;

But I'll do my best a gude wife ay to be,

For auld Robin Gray, he is kind unto me.

Lady Anne Lindsay

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