Buxom dame of Reading, or, The cuckold's cap (1)/Has She Not Dole Enough Has an Auld Man
Has SHE not DOLE enough ⟨has⟩ an AULD MAN.
ALL young damsels both handsome and pretty,
Come draw near unto me, sit down and sing,
A song of miscarriage, concerning my marriage,
And by daily dolour my hands I do wring.
My age is scarce twenty as plain doth appear,
I married an old man of seventy-three year,
And by my misguiding you may very well ken,
What should a young woman do with an old man!
He’s snuffing and sneezing, he’s banning and swearing,
He’s hard o’ the hearing, he canna weel fee;
He fumbles and grumbles, and over he tumbles,
And what is his snoring, alas! unto me?
His pate it is bald, his beard it is thin,
Rough is his hair, and hard is his skin:
His breach it is strong, his face pale and wan,
And that’s the hail properties of an auld man.
When he down lieth, he groaneth, he crieth,
As ane were a dying dolour and pain;
In dead of love-kisses, he itches and scratches,
Himself he outstretchen with groaning again.
But when he lies down at ten o’ the clock,
Turns first to the wall, and then to the stock;
Ithen wipe the tears, now as they down run,
And say woe to the day, ere I saw an auld man!
Young giglet he ca'e me, and says he will lame me,
Young gigalet he names me, and sometimes a whore;
But haud thy tongue auld man, and say nae mair such,
Fain would I say cuckold, but I think as much.
But I will lay by my mask and my fan,
And bid wo to the day ere I saw an auld man!
Otherwise for to crop him. I will do the best,
And with his old feathers I’ll build a new nest.
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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