Anonymous British

The Auld Good-man. A Scottish Song

Late in an evening forth I went A little before the sun gade down, And there I chanc't, by accident, To light on a battle new begun: A man and his wife wer fawn in a strife, I canna weel tell ye how it began; But aye she wail'd her wretched life, Cryeng, "Evir alake, mine auld goodman!" He. "The auld goodman that thou tells of, The country kens where he was born, Was but a silly poor vagabond, And ilka ane leugh him to scorn; For he did spend and make an end Of gear 'his fathers nevir' wan; He gart the poor stand frae the door; Sae tell nae mair of thy auld good-man. " She. "My heart, alake! is liken to brake, Whan I think on my winsome John, His blinkan ee and gait sae free, Was naithing like thee, thou dosend drone; Wi' his rosie fac and flaxen hair, And skin as white as ony swan, He was large and tall, and comely withall; Thou'lt nevir be like mine auld goodman. " He. "Why dost thou plein? I thee maintein; For meal and mawt thou disna want; But thy wild bees I canna please Now whan our gear gins to grow scant. Of household stuff thou hast enough; Thou wants for neither pot nor pan; Of sicklike ware he left thee bare; Sae tell nae mair of thy auld goodman. " She. "Yes, I may tell and fret my sell To think on those blyth days I had, Whan I and he together ley In armes into a well-made bed; But now I sigh and may be sad, Thy courage is cauld, thy colour wan, Thou falds thy feet and fa's asleep; Thou'lt nevir be like mine auld goodman. " Then coming was the night sae dark, And gane was a' the light of day; The carle was fear'd to miss his mark, And therefore wad nae longer stay. Then up he gat and ran his way, I trowe, the wife the day she wan; And aye the owreword of the fray Was, "Evir alake! mine auld goodman!"