Air—“The Bonniest Lass in a the Marl.”
O How can you gang, lassie, how can you gang,
O how can you gang sae tae grieve me !
Wi your beauty, and your airt, ye hae broken my heart,
For I never, never dreamt ye wad lea me.
This song appeared in R. A. Smith's Scotish Minstrel, Vol. III., page 98, with the word thought instead of dreamt—Ed.
Addition to this fragment by Alexander Rodger :
“Ah, wha wad hae thocht that sae bonnie a face
Coud e'er wear a smile tae deceive me
Or that guile in that fair bosom coud e'er find a place,
An that you wad break your vow thus, an lea me ?
“Oh, hae you not mind whan our names you entwined
In a wreath roun the purse you did weave me ?
Or hae you now forgot the once dear trysting-spot,
Whar sae aft you pledged your faith ne'er tae lea me ?
“But, changin' as the win' is your licht, fickle mind,
Your smiles, tokens, vows, a deceive me ;
Nae mair, then, I'll trust to such frail painted dust,
But bewail my fate till kind death relieve me.
“Then gang, fickle fair, tae your newfangled jo,
Yes, gang, and in wretchedness lea me;
But alas ! shoud you be doomed tae a wedlock o woe,
Ah, how would your unhappiness grieve me!
“For, Mary ! a faithless an false as thou art,
Thy spell-bindin glances, believe me,
Sae closely are entwined roun this fond foolish heart,
That the grave alane o them can bereave me.”
[Semple 134]