Classic Poem

Four-and-twenty ladies fair
Was playing at the ba,
And out cam Barbra Livingston,
The flower amang them a'.

Out cam Barbra Livingston,
The flower amang them a';
The lusty laird of Linlyon
Has stown her clean awa.

‘The Hielands is no for me, kind sir,
The Hielands is no for me;
But, if you wud my favour win,
You 'll tak me to Dundee.’

‘The Hielands 'll be for thee, my dear,
The Hielands will be for thee;
To the lusty laird o Linlyon
A-married ye shall be.’

When they came to Linlyon's yetts,
And lichted on the green,
Every ane spak Earse to her,
The tears cam trinkling down.

When they went to bed at nicht,
To Linlyon she did say,
‘Och and alace, a weary nicht!
Oh, but it 's lang till day!’

‘Your father's steed in my stable,
He 's eating corn and hay,
And you 're lying in my twa arms;
What need you long for day?’

‘If I had paper, pen, and ink,
And candle for to see,
I wud write a lang letter
To my love in Dundee.’

They brocht her paper, pen, and ink,
And candle for to see,
And she did write a lang letter
To her love in Dundee.

When he cam to Linlyon's yetts,
And lichtit on the green,
But lang or he wan up the stair
His love was dead and gane.

‘Woe be to thee, Linlyon,
An ill death may thou die!
Thou micht hae taen anither woman,
And let my lady be.’