Wha will own he did the faut? [fault] Wha will buy my groanin' maut? [ale for the midwife] Wha will tell me how to ca't? [name it] The rantin' dog the daddie o't.
When I mount the creepie-chair. [stool of repentance] Wha will sit beside me there? Gie me Rob, I seek nae mair,-- [Give] The rantin' dog the daddie o't.
Wha will crack to me my lane? [chat, alone] Wha will mak me fidgin' fain? [tingling with fondness] Wha will kiss me o'er again?-- The rantin' dog the daddie o't.
Last May a braw wooer cam down the lang glen, [fine] And sair wi' his love he did deave me: [sorely, deafen] I said there was naething I hated like men-- The deuce gae wi'm to believe me, believe me, [go with him] The deuce gae wi'm to believe me.
He spak o' the darts in my bonnie black een, And vow'd for my love he was dying; I said he might die when he liked for Jean: The Lord forgie me for lying, for lying. The Lord forgie me for lying!
A weel-stockèd mailen, himsel' for the laird, [farm] And marriage aff-hand, were his proffers: I never loot on that I kend it, or car'd; [admitted] But thought I might hae waur offers, waur offers, [worse] But thought I might hae waur offers.
But what wad ye think? In a fortnight or less, The deil tak his taste to gae near her! [devil] He up the lang loan to my black cousin Bess, [lane] Guess ye how, the jad! I could bear her, could bear her, Guess ye how, the jad! I could bear her.
But a' the niest week as I petted wi' care, [next, fretted] I gaed to the tryst o' Dalgarnock; [fair] And wha but my fine fickle lover was there? I glowr'd as I'd seen a warlock, a warlock, [stared, wizard] I glowr'd as I'd seen a warlock.
But owre my left shouther I gae him a blink, [shoulder, gave, glance] Lest neebors might say I was saucy; My wooer he caper'd as he'd been in drink, And vow'd I was his dear lassie, dear lassie, And vow'd I was his dear lassie.
I spier'd for my cousin fu' couthy and sweet, [asked, kindly] Gin she had recover'd her hearin', [If] And how her new shoon fit her auld shachl't feet-- [shoes, ill-shaped] But, heavens! how he fell a swearin', a swearin'. But, heavens! how he fell a swearin'.
He begged for gudesake I wad be his wife, Or else I wad kill him wi' sorrow: So e'en to preserve the poor body in life, I think I maun wed him to-morrow, to-morrow, [must] I think I maun wed him to-morrow.