The Jolly Beggar (1850s)/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 had been,
With his fal de dal lal a,
And he took up his quarters
In a house in Aberdeen,
With his toran oran an de odi.

The beggar wadna lie in barn,
Nor yet wad he in byre,
With his, &c.
But he would lie into the ha',
Or beyond the kitchen fire,
With his, &c.

The beggar's bed was well made
With clean hay and straw,
With his &c.
And beyond the kitchen fire
There the jolly beggar lay,
With his, &c.

The lassie then she did get up
To bar the kitchen door,
With his, &c.
And there she met the jolly beggar
Standing naked on the floor,
With his, &c.

He gript the lassie by the middle jimp,
Laid her against the wa',
With his, &c.
O kind sir, she said be civil
For you will waken my dadda,
With your, &c.

He never minded what she said,
But carried on his stroke,
With his, &c.
Till he got his job done,
Then he began to joke,
With his, &c.

Have you got ony dogs about the house,
Or ony cats ava,
With his, &c.
For I'm fear'd they'll cut my meal pocks,
Throw them against the wa',
With a, &c.
O deil tak your meal pocks,
My maidenhead's awa,
With your, &c.

The lassie she got up again,
Three hours before 'twas day,
With a, &c.
For to gie the beggar hansel
Before he went awa,
With his, &c.

She went into the cellar,
To draw a pot of ale;
With a, &c.
And the beggar follow'd after,
And did the joke again,
With his, &c.

He laid her on the ringle tree.
And gave her kisses three,
With his, &c.
And gave her twenty guineas
To pay the horses' fee,
With his, &c.

Had you been an honest lass,
As I took you to be,
With a &c.
You might have rode in your carriage,
And gone along with me,
With my, &c.

This beggar he took a horn,
And blew it wondrous shrill,
With his, &c.
And four-and-twenty belted knights
Came riding o'er the hill,
With his, &c.

Now if you are afraid,
That you should miscall your child,
With his, &c.
You may call him for the daddy o't,
The great Duke of Argyle.
With his, &c.