From Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 200, obtained from recitation. Another copy is furnished by Buchan, Ballads of the North of Scotland, ii. 194, which, with some variations, is printed again in Scottish Traditional Versions of Ancient Ballads, Percy Society, vol. xvii. p. 53.
"This ballad," says Kinloch, was composed on the marriage of Alexander Irvine of Drum to his second wife, Margaret Coutts, a woman of inferior birth and manners, which step gave great offence to his relations. He had previously, in 1643, married Mary, fourth daughter of George, second Marquis of Huntly.
The Laird o' Drum is a wooing gane,
It was on a morning early,
And he has fawn in wi' a bonnie may
A-shearing at her barley.
"My bonnie may, my weel-faur'd may,5
O will ye fancy me, O;
And gae and be the lady o' Drum,
And lat your shearing abee, O?"
"It's I canna fancy thee, kind sir,
I winna fancy thee, O,10
I winna gae and be Lady o' Drum,
And lat my shearing abee, O.
"But set your love on anither, kind sir,
Set it not on me, O,
For I am not fit to be your bride,15
And your hure I'll never be, O.
"My father he is a shepherd mean,
Keeps sheep on yonder hill, O,
And ye may gae and speir at him,
For I am at his will, O."20
Drum is to her father gane,
Keeping his sheep on yon hill, O;
And he has gotten his consent
That the may was at his will, O.
"But my dochter can neither read nor write,25
She was ne'er brought up at scheel, O;
But weel can she milk cow and ewe,
And mak a kebbuck weel, O.