A
Skene MS., p. 20; taken down in the north of Scotland, 1802–3.
1
The Laird of Leys is on to Edinbrugh,
To shaw a fit o his follie;
He drest himsel in the crimson-brown,
An he provd a rantin laddie.
2
Ben came a weel-faird lass,
Says, Laddie, how do they ca ye?
‘They ca me this, an they ca me that,
Ye wudna ken fat they ca me;
But whan I’m at home on bonnie Deeside
They ca me The Rantin Laddie.’
3
They sought her up, they sought her down,
They sought her in the parlour;
She coudna be got but whar she was,
In the bed wi The Rantin Laddie.
4
‘Tell me, tell me, Baron of Leys,
Ye tell me how they ca ye!
Your gentle blood moves in my side,
An I dinna ken how they ca ye.’
5
‘They ca me this, an they ca me that,
Ye couldna ken how they ca me;
But whan I’m at home on bonnie Deeside
They ca me The Rantin Laddie.’
6
‘Tell me, tell me, Baron of Leys,
Ye tell me how they ca ye!
Your gentle blood moves in my side,
An I dinna ken how to ca ye.’
7
‘Baron of Leys, it is my stile,
Alexander Burnett they ca me;
Whan I’m at hame on bonnie Deeside
My name is The Rantin Laddie.’
8
‘Gin your name be Alexander Burnett,
Alas that ever I saw ye!
For ye hae a wife and bairns at hame,
An alas for lyin sae near ye!
9
‘But I’se gar ye be headit or hangt,
Or marry me the morn,
Or else pay down ten thousand crowns
For giein o me the scorn.’
10
‘For my head, I canna want;
I love my lady dearly;
But some o my lands I maun lose in the case,
Alas for lyin sae near ye!’
11
Word has gane to the Lady of Leys
That the laird he had a bairn;
The warst word she said to that was,
‘I wish I had it in my arms.
12
‘For I will sell my jointure-lands—
I am broken an I’m sorry—
An I’ll sell a’, to my silk gowns,
An get hame my rantin laddie.’