Bess the gawkie/Bess the gawkie

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Bess the Gawkie (1800)
Bess the Gawkie
3213760Bess the Gawkie — Bess the Gawkie1800

BESS the Gawkie.

BLYTHE young Bess to Jean did say,
Will ye gang to yon sunny brae,
Where flocks do feed, and herds do stray,
And sport a while wi' Jamie?
Ah, na, I'll no gang there,
Not about Jamie tak a care,
Nor about Jamie tak a care,
For he's taen up wi' Maggie.

For hark, and I will tell you, lass,
Did I not hear young Jamie pass,
Wi' muckle blytheness in his face,
Out owre the muir to Maggie:
I wa' he gae her mony a kiss,
And Maggie took them nae amiss;
'Tween ilka smack pleased her wi' this,
"That Bess was but a gawkie."

"For when a civil kiss I seek,
"She turns her head & thraws her cheek,
"And for an hour she'll hardly speak:
Wha'd no ca' her a gawkie?
"Be sure my Maggie has mair sense,
"She'll give a score with an offence;
"Now gie me ane into the mense,
"and ye shall be my dawtie."

O Jamie, ye hae mony ta'en,
But I will never stand for ane.
Or twa when we do meet again,
"So never think me a gawkie."
Ah, na lass, that canna be;
Sic thoughts as these are far frae me,
Or ony thy sweet face that see,
"E'er to think thee a gawkie."

But, whisht! nae mair o' this we'll speak,
For yonder Jamie does us meet;
Instead o' Meg he kiss'd sae sweet,
I trow, he likes the gawkie.
O dear Bess, I hardly knew,
When I came by your gown sae new;
I think ye've got it wet wi' dew."
Quoth she, "That's like a gawkie.

It's wet wi' dew: and 'twill get rain,
And I'll get gowns when it is gane;
Sae ye may gang the gate ye came,
"And tell it to your dawtie."
The guilt appear'd in Jamie's cheek;
He cry'd, "O cruel maid, but sweet,
If I shoul gang neither gate,
"I ne'er could meet my dawtie."

The lasses fast frae him they flew,
And left poor Jamie sair to rue
That ever Maggie s face he knew,
Or yet ca'd Bess a gawkie.
As they gade owre the muir they sang,
The hills and dales with echo rung,
The hills and dales with echo rung,
'Gang o'er the muir to Maggie.'


This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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