Air—"Waly, waly—old Set."
I'LL lay me on the wintry lea,
An sleep amidst the wind an weet,
An ere anither's bride I be,
O bring tae me my windin sheet !
What can a hapless lassie dae,
Whan ilka frien wad prove her fae,
Wad gar her break her dearest vow,
Tae wed wi ane she canna loe ?
Addition to this fragment by Robert Skimming :—
“Sax simmers noo hae o'er me flown,
Sin Willie's heart was knit to mine;
An when our pledges I disown,
Oh ! a my senses may I tine.
"Noo, Jamie, he's a rakish loon,
Our laird's ae son altho he be ;
An whan my frien's gie him their haun,
He thinks he has the heart o me.
“For, love and truth in him combine
Ilk frien and fae maun a allow ;
Shoud a the fates against me join,
I'll wed wi him—for him I loe.
“But I will let the stripling see
That love tae wealth shall never bow,
For frien's shall seer mak me agree
Tae wed wi nane but him I loe.”
Robert Skimming composed these additional verses at the request of a friend of Tannahill in 1843, who published the whole song in the Renfrewshire Advertiser. Robert Skimming was born in Stewarton on 28th April, 1812 ; and on his arriving at ten years of age, he was put to the trade of his father—a weaver. He removed with his father to Paisley in 1826, and commenced rhyming in 1828. In 1840, he published “Lays of Leisure Hours;” and, in 1852, “Strains I used to Sing.” Tannahill's fragment, with the four additional verses, appeared among the “Strains.” Robert Skimming, after forty-one years' trials in Paisley, removed to Rothesay in 1867, where he was appointed Janitor to the Working Men's Institute. He attended the Centenary of Tannahill on 3rd June, 1874, and was on the platform at the Tannahill Festival without being recognised. He returned to Rothesay with a feeling of sadness at the changes which time had made.—Ed.
[Semple 135]