O MERRY HAE I BEEN

O, merry hae I been teethin' a heckle, [huckling-comb]
An' merry hae I been shapin' a spoon;
O, merry hae I been cloutin' a kettle, [patching]
An' kissin' my Katie when a' was done,
O, a' the lang day I ca' at my hammer, [knock with]
An' a' the lang day I whistle and sing,
O, a' the lang night I cuddle my kimmer, [mistress]
An' a' the lang night am as happy's a king.

Bitter in dool I lickit my winnins [sorrow, earnings]
O' marrying Bess, to gie her a slave:
Bless'd be the hour she cool'd in her linens, [shroud]
And blythe be the bird that sings on her grave.
Come to my arms, my Katie, my Katie,
An' come to my arms, an' kiss me again!
Drucken or sober, here's to thee, Katie!
And bless'd be the day I did it again.

_Had I the Wyte_ is, we may hope, also purely imaginative drama; it is
certainly vividly imagined and carried through with a delightful
mixture of sympathy and humorous detachment.


HAD I THE WYTE?

Had I the wyte, had I the wyte, [blame]
Had I the wyte? she bade me!
She watch'd me by the hie-gate side, [highroad]