"The first time that I had a wife,
She was far abeen my degree, O;
I durst na come in her presence,
But wi' my hat upo' my knee, O.
"The first wife that I did wed,65
She was far abeen my degree, O;
She wadna hae walk'd to the yetts o' Drum,
But the pearls abeen her bree, O.
"But an she was ador'd for as much gold,
As Peggy's for beautie, O,70
She micht walk to the yetts o' Drum,
Amang gueed companie, O."
There war four and twenty gentlemen
Stood at the yetts o' Drum, O;
There was na ane amang them a'75
That welcom'd his lady in, O.
He has tane her by the milk-white hand,
And led her in himsel, O,
And in thro' ha's, and in thro' bouers,—
"And ye're welcome, Lady o' Drum, O."80
Thrice he kissed her cherry cheek,
And thrice her cherry chin, O;
And twenty times her comely mou',—
"And ye're welcome, Lady o' Drum, O.
"Ye sall be cook in my kitchen,85
Butler in my ha', O;
Ye sall be lady in my command,
Whan I ride far awa, O."—
"But I told ye afore we war wed,
I was owre low for thee, O;90
But now we are wed, and in ae bed laid,
And ye maun be content wi' me, O.
"For an I war dead, and ye war dead,
And baith in ae grave laid, O,
And ye and I war tane up again,95
Wha could distan your mouls frae mine, O?"