The Young Laird and Edinburgh Katy

The Young Laird and Edinburgh Katy

Original Text
Allan Ramsay, Poems, 3rd edn. (Edinburgh, 1720). B-10 8074 Fisher Rare Book Library
1Now wat ye wha I met yestreen
2Coming down the street, my Jo,
3My mistress in her tartan screen,
4Fow bonny, braw and sweet, my Jo.
5"My dear," quoth I, "thanks to the night,
6That never wish'd a lover ill,
7Since ye're out of your mither's sight,
8Let's take a wauk up to the hill.
9      "O Katy wiltu gang wi' me,
10And leave the dinsome town a while,
11The blossom's sprouting frae the tree,
12And a' the summer's gawn to smile;
13The mavis, nightingale and lark,
14The bleeting lambs and whistling hynd,
15In ilka dale, green, shaw and park,
16Will nourish health, and glad ye'r mind.
17      "Soon as the clear goodman of day
18Bends his morning draught of dew,
19We'll gae to some burnside and play,
20And gather flowers to busk ye'r brow.
21We'll pou the dazies on the green,
22The lucken gowans frae the bog;
23Between hands now and then we'll lean,
24And sport upo' the velvet fog.
25      "There's up into a pleasant glen,
26A wee piece frae my father's tower,
27A canny, saft and flow'ry den,
28Which circling birks has form'd a bower:
29When e'er the sun grows high and warm,
30We'll to the cauller shade remove,
31There will I lock thee in mine arm,
32And love and kiss, and kiss and love."

Notes

4] fow: full. Back to Line
10] dinsome: noisy. Back to Line
15] shaw: grove. Back to Line
20] busk: adorn. Back to Line
21] pou: pull. Back to Line
22] lucken gowans: globe flowers. Back to Line
28] birks: birches. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1720
RPO poem Editors
N. J. Endicott
RPO Edition
2RP.1.643; RPO 1996-2000.
Rhyme
ababcdcd