2 'O well fails me o my parrot
That he can speak and flee;
For he will carry love-letters
Between my love and me.
3 'And well fails me o my parrot
He can baith speak and gang;
And he will carry love-letters
To the maid in South England.'
4 'O how shall I your love find out?
Or how shall I her know?
When my tongue with her never spake,
Nor my eyes her ever saw.'
5 'O what is red of her is red
As blude drappd on the snaw;
And what is white o her is white
As milk, or the sea-maw.
6 'Even before that lady's yetts
You'll find a bowing birk;
And there ye'll sit, and sing thereon,
Till she gaes to the kirk.
7 'Then even before that lady's yetts
You'll find a bowing ash;
And ye may sit and sing thereon,
Till she comes frae the mass.
8 'And even before that lady's window
You'll find a bed o tyme;
And ye may sit and sing thereon,
Till she sits down to dine.
9 'Even abeen that lady's window
There's fixd a siller pin;
And a' these words that I tell you,
Ye'll sit and sing therein.
10 'Ye'll bid her send her love a letter,
For he has sent her five;
And he'll never send anither ane,
To nae woman alive.
11 'Ye'll bid her send her love a letter,
For he has sent her seven;
And he'll never send anither send,
To nae maid under heaven.'