The Bonnie Wee Window

There was a young lass an' her name it was Nell,
In a snug wee bit hoose wi' her grannie did dwell;
The hoose was but wee, but the window was less,--
It had but four lozens, an' ane wantit gless.

'Twas a bonnie wee window,
A handsome wee window'
The bonniest wee window that ever I saw.

Tho' the lozen was broke they a use for't did fin'
To pit onything oot, an tak' onything in;
But to Nell in especial to her it was dear,
For her lovers at nicht cam' a' coortin her here.

Chorus

It happen'd ae nicht grannie went to her bed,
An' Johnnie, the blithest young lad that Nell had,
Cam' far owre the hills his true love to see,
An' under the window richt plantit got he.

Chorus

The twa lovers hadna got muckle weel said,
When grannie cries out, "Nellie, come to your bed;"
"I'm comin', dear grannie," young Nellie did say,
"So fare-ye-weel, Johnnie; but come back the neist day."

Chorus

"Oh lassie, dear lassie, dinna tak' it amiss,
Before ye gang awa' ye maun grant me a kiss;"
An' to get a bit kiss Johnnie ramm'd his head through,
For what wadna love mak' a fond lover do?

Chorus

Only ae kiss got Johnnie, an' sweet was the smack,
But no for dear life could he get his head back;
He ruggit, he tuggit, he bawl'd an' he curs'd,
While Nell's sides for laughter were maist like to burst.

Chorus

Grannie, hearin' the noise jump'd oot on the floor,
An' seizin' the poker, she made for the door,
An' on puir Johnnie's back sic a thump she laid on,
Anither like that wad ha'e broke his back-bone.

Chorus.

Johnnie, reekin' wi' heat an' smartin' wi' pain,
Kept ruggin' an' tuggin' wi' micht and wi' main,
Till the lintels gi'ed way, and the window did break;
But, oh! the best half o't stuck fast  to his neck.

Chorus

As soon as the window in ruins did lie,
Auld grannie let oot sie a horrible cry
That alarm'd a' the neebors, lad, lass man, an' wife,
An' caused oor puir Johnnie to rin for his life,

Chorus.

Owre hill an' owre dale he pusued his way hame,
Like a bear that was huntit, ne'er lookin' behin';
An' the neebors they follow'd wi' clamour an' squeals,
An' some o' them huntit their dogs at his heels.

Chorus.

But when he got hame, wi' a hatchet soon he
Frae his wooden cravat quickly set himsel' free;
An' oot o' fair spite, and to please his desire,
He burn'd baith the wood an' the gless in the fire.

Chorus.

Next morn he arose at the break o' daylicht,
An' sent for a joiner to mak' a' things richt;
But he vow'd that the deil micht ha'e him for his ain,
If he e'er kissed a lass through a window again--
Be she ever sae bonnie,
Or ever sae braw,
Or the handsomest lass that he ever saw.

Page created 21 October 2014