The Jolly Beggar (1823, Glasgow)/The Jolly Beggar

For other versions of this work, see The Jolly Beggar (Song).

THE JOLLY BEGGAR.

There was a jolly beggar, and a begging he was bound,
And he took up his quarters into a lan'art town,
Fa la, la, &c.

He wad neither ly in barn, nor yet wad he in byre,
But in ahint the ha' door, or else afore the fire.

The beggar's bed was made at e'en wi' good clean strae and hay,
And in ahint the ha' door, and there the beggar lay.

Up raise the goodman's dochter, and for to bar the door,
And there she saw the beggar standing i' the floor.

He took the lassie in his arms, and to the bed he ran,
O hooly, hooly wi' me, Sir, ye'll waken our good man.

The beggar was a cunnin loon and ne'er a word he spak,
Until he got his turn done, syne he began to crack.

Is there ony dogs in so this town? maiden, tell me true.
And what wad ye do wi' them, my hinny and my dow?

They'll rive a' my meal pocks, and do me meikle wrang,
O dool for the doing o't, are ye the poor man?

Then she took up the meal pocks and flang them o'er the wa',
The deil gae wi' your meal pocks, m' maidenhead's awa.

I took ye for some gentleman, at least the Laird o' Brodie;
O dool for the doing o't, are ye the poor bodie?

He took the lassie in his arms, and gae her kisses three,
And four and twenty hunder mark to pay the nurice fee.

He took a horn frae his side, and blew baith loud and shrill,
And four and twenty belted knights came skipping o'er the hill.

And he took out his little knife, loot a' his duddies fa',
And he stood the brawest gentleman that was amang them a'.

The beggar was a clever loon, and he lap shouther height,
O ay for sicken quarters as I gat yesternight,
Fa la la, &c.