(Trad - Child #236)The Laird o' Drum has a-huntin' gane
All in the mornin' early
And he has spied a weel-faur'd maid
A-shearin' her faither's barley
My bonnie maid, my weel-faur'd maid
It's will ye gang wi' me, O
And will ye gang and be Lady o' the Drum
And leave your shearin' a-be, O
I couldnae gang wi' you, kind sir
Nor leave my shearin' a-be, O
For I'm ower low tae be Lady o' the Drum
And your miss I scorn tae be, O
My faither he's a shepherd man
Keeps sheep on yonder hill, O
And ye be gang and speir at him
I'm entirely at his will, O
Drum has tae her faither gane
Keepin' sheep on yonder hill, O
I'm come tae marry your ae dochter
Gin ye'll gie your guid will, O
My dochter can neither read nor write
Nor once she bred at the school, O
But she can work baith oot and in
For I've learned the girlie mysel', O
She'll wark in your barn, aye and at your mill
And brew your malt and your ale, O
And saddle your steed in time o' need
And draw aff your boots hersel', O
Noo I'll learn the lassie tae read and write
And pit her tae the school, O
And she'll never need tae saddle my steed
Nor draw aff my boots hersel', O
But wha will bake my bridal breid
And wha will brew my ale, O
And wha will welcome my lowly bride
That's mair than I can tell, O
Ah but four and twenty gentle knights
Gae'd in at the yett o' Drum, O
And there's never a one has lifted his hat
When the Lady o' the Drum cam' in, O
It's up and spake his brither John
Says, Ye've done us meikle wrang, O
Ye've marriet a wife o' low degree
She's a mock tae all oor kin, O
It's Peggy Coutts is a bonnie bride
And Drum is big and gossie (?)
But ye mecht hae chosen a higher mat'
Than just a shepherd's lassie
It's up and spake the Laird o' Drum
Says, I've done ye nae wrang, O
I've marriet a wife tae wark and win
And ye've marriet ane tae spend, O
Noo, the first time that I took me a wife
She was far abune my degree, O
And I dursnae gang intae the room whaur she was
But my hand below my knee, O
It's twice he kissed her cherry cheek
And thrice her cherry chin, O
And twenty times her comely mou'
And ye're welcome, my Lady Drum, O
And when had eaten and drunken weel
And they were bound for bed, O
The Laird o' Drum and his lady fair
In ae bed they were laid, O
Gin ye had been o' high renown
As ye're o' low degree, O
We mecht hae gae'd doon tae the yett o' Drum
Amang guid companie, O
And o' a' yon four and twenty knights
That gae'd in at the yett o' Drum, O
There ne'er was a one wouldnae lifted his hat
When the Lady o' the Drum cam' in, O
I tell't ye weel ere we were wed
Ye was far abune my degree, O
But noo we're marriet, in ae bed laid
I'm just as guid as ye, O
And when you are dead and I am dead
And baith in ae grave laid, O
Ere seven years are at an end
Weel no' ken ye your dust frae mine, O
(weel-faur'd - well-favoured; miss - mistress)
(as sung by Jock Tamson's Bairns)