Page:The poetical works of Robert Burns.djvu/344

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THE SONGS OF BURNS.

THE FIVE CARLINS.

AN ELECTION BALLAD.

TUNE—'CHEVY CHASE.'

There were five Carlins in the south,They fell upon a scheme,To send a lad to Lon'on townTo bring us tidings hame.
Not only bring us tidings hame,But do our errands there,And aiblins gowd and honour baithMight be that laddie's share.
There was Maggie by the banks o' Nith,A dame wi' pride eneugh;And Marjorie o' the monie Lochs,A Carlin auld an' teugh.
And blinkin Bess o' Annandale,That dwells near Solway side,And whisky Jean that took her gillIn Galloway so wide.
And auld black Joan frae Creighton peel,O'gipsy kith an' kin,Five wighter Carlins were na foun'The south kintra within.
To send a lad to Lon'on townThey met upon a day,And monie a Knight and monie a Laird,That errand fain would gae.
O! monie a Knight and monie a Laird,This errand fain would gae;But nae ane could their fancy please,O! ne'er a ane but twae.
The first ane was a belted Knight,Bred o'a border clan,An' he wad gae to Lon'on town,Might nae man him withstan':
And he wad do their errands weel,And meikle he wae say,And ilka ane at Lon'on courtWad bid to him guid day.
Then neist came in a sodger youth,And spak wi' modest grace,An' he wad gae to Lon'on town,If sae their pleasure was.
He wad na hecht them courtly gift,Nor meikle speech pretend;But he wad hecht an honest heartWad ne'er desert his friend.
Now wham to choose and wham refuse,To strife thae Carlins fell;For some had gentle folk to please,And some wad please themsel.
Then out spak mim-mou'd Meg o' Nith,An' she spak out wi' pride,An' she wad send the sodger youthWhatever might betide.
For the auld guidman o' Lon'on courtShe didna care a pin,But she wad send the sodger youthTo greet his eldest son.
Then up sprang Bess o' Annandale:A deadly aith she's ta'en,That she wad vote the border Knight,Tho' she should vote her lane.
For far aff fowls hae feathers fair,An' fools o' change are fain:But I hae tried the border Knight,I'll try him yet again.
Says auld black Joan frae Creighton peel,A Carlin stoor and grim,The auld guidman or young guidman,For me may sink or swim!
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