{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch240.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch240.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch240.htm","text":"240A.1 \u2018AFTEN hae I playd at the cards and the dice,\nFor the love of a bonie rantin laddie,\nBut now I maun sit in my father\u2019s kitchen-neuk\nAnd balow a bastard babie.\n240A.2 \u2018For my father he will not me own,\nAnd my mother she neglects me,\nAnd a\u2019 my friends hae lightlyed me,\nAnd their servants they do slight me.\n240A.3 \u2018But had I a servant at my command,\nAs aft times I\u2019ve had many,\nThat wad rin wi a letter to bonie Glenswood,\nWi a letter to my rantin laddie!\u2019\n240A.4 \u2018O is he either a laird or a lord,\nOr is he but a cadie,\nThat ye do him ca sae aften by name\nYour bonie, bonie rantin laddie?\u2019\n240A.5 \u2018Indeed he is baith a laird and a lord,\nAnd he never was a cadie,\nBut he is the Earl o bonie Aboyne,\nAnd he is my rantin laddie.\u2019\n240A.6 \u2018O ye\u2019se get a servant at your command,\nAs aft times ye\u2019ve had many,\nThat sall rin wi a letter to bonie Glenswood,\nA letter to your rantin laddie.\u2019\n240A.7 When Lord Aboyne did the letter get,\nO but he blinket bonie!\nBut or he had read three lines of it\nI think his heart was sorry.\n240A.8 \u2018O wha is [this] daur be sae bauld\nSae cruelly to use my lassie?\n. . . .\n. . .\n240A.9 \u2018For her father he will not her know,\nAnd her mother she does slight her,\nAnd a\u2019 her friends hae lightlied her,\nAnd their servants they neglect her.\n240A.10 \u2018Go raise to me my five hundred men,\nMake haste and make them ready,\nWith a milk-white steed under every ane,\nFor to bring hame my lady.\u2019\n240A.11 As they cam in thro Buchanshire,\nThey were a company bonie,\nWith a gude claymor in every hand,\nAnd O but they shin\u2019d bonie!\n240B: The Rantin Laddie\n240B.1 \u2018OFT have I playd at the cards an the dyce,\nThe war so very enticin;\nBut this is a sad an a sorrowfu seat,\nTo see my apron risin.\n240B.2 \u2018Oft hae I playd at the cards an the dice\nFor love of my [rantin] laddie;\nBut now I man sit in my father\u2019s kitchie-nouk,\nA rokkin o my baby.\n240B.3 \u2018But gin I had ane o my father\u2019s servans,\nFor he has so mony,\nThat wad gae to the wood o Glentanner,\nWi a letter to the rantin laddie!\u2019\n240B.4 \u2018Here am I, ane o your father\u2019s servans,\nFor he has sae mony,\nThat will gae to the wood o Glentanner,\nWi a letter to the rantin laddie.\u2019\n240B.5 \u2018Fan ye gae to Aboyne,\nTo the woods o Glentanner sae bonny,\nWi your hat in your hand gie a bow to the ground,\nIn the presence o the rantin laddie.\u2019\n240B.6 Fan he gaed to Aboyne,\nTo the woods o Glentanner sae bonny,\nWi his hat in his hand he gied a bow to the ground,\nIn the presence of the rantin laddie.\n240B.7 Fan he looked the letter on\nSae loud as he was laughin!\nBut or he read it to an end\nThe tears they cam down rappin.\n240B.8 \u2018O fa is this or fa is that\nHas been so ill to my Maggie?\n. . . .\n. . . .\n240B.9 \u2018But ye gett four-and-twenty milk white steeds,\nWi an car . . .\nAn as mony gay ladies to ride them on,\nTo gae an bring hame my Maggie.\n240B.10 \u2018Ye get four-and-twenty bonny brown steeds,\nWi an car o an ome,\nAn as mony knights to ride them on,\nTo gae an bring hame my Maggie.\u2019\n240B.11 Ye lasses a\u2019, far ever ye be,\nAn ye match wi ony o our Deeside laddies,\nYe\u2019ll happy be, ye\u2019l happy be,\nFor they are frank and kind.\n240C: The Rantin Laddie\n240C.1 \u2018AFT hae I playd at cards and dice\nFor the love o a bonny rantin laddie,\nBut now I maun sit i my father\u2019s kitchen-nook,\nAnd sing, Hush, balow, my baby.\n240C.2 \u2018If I had been wise, and had taen advice,\nAnd dane as my bonny love bade me,\nI would hae been married at Martinmass,\nAnd been wi my rantin laddie.\n240C.3 \u2018But I was na wise, I took nae advice,\nDid not as my bonny love bade me,\nAnd now I maun sit by mysel i the nook,\nAnd rock my bastard baby.\n240C.4 \u2018If I had horse at my command,\nAs often I had many,\nI would ride on to the Castle o Aboyne,\nWi a letter to my rantin laddie.\u2019\n240C.5 Down the stair her father came,\nAnd look d proud and saucy:\n\u2018Who is the man, and what is his name,\nThat ye ca your rantin laddie?\n240C.6 \u2018Is he a lord, or is he a laird?\nOr is he but a caddie?\nOr is it the young Earl o Aboyne\nThat ye ca your rantin laddie?\u2019\n240C.7 \u2018He is a young and noble lord,\nHe never was a caddie;\nIt is the noble Earl o Aboyne\nThat I ca my rantin laddie.\u2019\n240C.8 \u2018Ye shall hae a horse at your command,\nAs ye had often many,\nTo go to the Castle o Aboyne,\nWi a letter to your rantin laddie.\n240C.9 \u2018Where will I get a little page,\nWhere will I get a caddie,\nThat will run quick to bonny Aboyne,\nWi this letter to my rantin laddie?\u2019\n240C.10 Then out spoke the young scullion-boy,\nSaid, Here am I, a caddie;\nI will run on to bonny Aboyne,\nWi the letter to your rantin laddie.\n240C.11 \u2018Now when ye come to bonny Deeside,\nWhere woods are green and bonny,\nThere will ye see the Earl o Aboyne,\nAmong the bushes mony.\n240C.12 \u2018And when ye come to the lands o Aboyne,\nWhere all around is bonny,\nYe\u2019ll take your hat into your hand,\nGie this letter to my rantin laddie.\u2019\n240C.13 When he came near the banks of Dee,\nThe birks were blooming bonny,\nAnd there he saw the Earl o Aboyne,\nAmong the bushes mony.\n240C.14 \u2018Where are ye going, my bonny boy?\nWhere are ye going, my caddie?\u2019\n\u2018I am going to the Castle o Aboyne,\nWi a letter to the rantin laddie.\u2019\n240C.15 \u2018See yonder is the castle then,\nMy young and handsome caddie,\nAnd I myself am the Earl o Aboyne,\nTho they ca me the rantin laddie.\u2019\n240C.16 \u2018O pardon, my lord, if I\u2019ve done wrong;\nForgive a simple caddie;\nO pardon, pardon, Earl o Aboyne,\nI said but what she bade me.\u2019\n240C.17 \u2018Ye have done no wrong, my bonny boy,\nYe\u2019ve done no wrong, my caddie;\u2019\nWi hat in hand he bowed low,\nGave the letter to the rantin laddie.\n240C.18 When young Aboyne looked the letter on,\nO but he blinkit bonny!\nBut ere he read four lines on end\nThe tears came trickling mony.\n240C.19 \u2018My father will no pity shew,\nMy mother still does slight me,\nAnd a\u2019 my friends have turned from me,\nAnd servants disrespect me.\u2019\n240C.20 \u2018Who are they dare be so bold\nTo cruelly use my lassie?\nBut I\u2019ll take her to bonny Aboyne,\nWhere oft she did caress me.\n240C.21 \u2018Go raise to me five hundred men,\nBe quick and make them ready;\nEach on a steed, to haste their speed,\nTo carry home my lady.\u2019\n240C.22 As they rode on thro Buchanshire,\nThe company were many,\nWi a good claymore in every hand,\nThat glanc d wondrous bonny.\n240C.23 When he came to her father\u2019s gate,\nHe called for his lady:\n\u2018Come down, come down, my bonny maid,\nAnd speak wi your rantin laddie.\u2019\n240C.24 When she was set on high horseback,\nRowd in the Highland plaidie,\nThe bird i the bush sang not so sweet\nAs sung this bonny lady.\n240C.25 As they rode on thro Buchanshire,\nHe cried, Each Lowland lassie,\nLay your love on some lowland lown,\nAnd soon will he prove fause t\u2019 ye.\n240C.26 \u2018But take my advice, and make your choice\nOf some young Highland laddie,\nWi bonnet and plaid, whose heart is staid,\nAnd he will not beguile ye.\u2019\n240C.27 As they rode on thro Garioch land,\nHe rode up in a fury,\nAnd cried, Fall back, each saucy dame,\nLet the Countess of Aboyne before ye.\n240D: The Rantin Laddie\n240D.1 \u2018AFT hae I played at he cards and the dice,\nIt was a\u2019 for the sake o my laddie,\nBut noo I sit i my father\u2019s kitchie-neuk,\nSinging ba to a bonnie bastard babbie.\n240D.2 \u2018Whar will I get a bonnie boy sae kin\nAs will carry a letter cannie,\nThat will rin on to the gates o the Boyne,\nGie the letter to my rantin laddie?\u2019\n240D.3 \u2018Here am I, a bonnie boy sae kin,\nAs will carry a letter cannie,\nThat will rin on to the gates o the Boyne,\nGie the letter to your rantin laddie.\u2019\n240D.4 \u2018When ye come to the gates o the Boyne,\nAn low doon on yon cassie,\nYe\u2019ll tak aff your hat an ye\u2019ll mak a low bow,\nGie the letter to my rantin laddie.\u2019\n240D.5 \u2018When ye come to gates o the Boyne,\nYe\u2019ll see lords an nobles monie;\nBut ye\u2019ll ken him among them a\u2019,\nHe\u2019s my bonnie, bonnie rantin laddie.\u2019\n240D.6 \u2018Is your bonnie love a laird or a lord,\nOr is he a cadie,\nThat ye call him so very often by name\nYour bonnie rantin laddie?\u2019\n240D.7 \u2018My love\u2019s neither a laird nor a lord,\nNor is he a cadie,\nBut he is yerl o a\u2019 the Boyne,\nAn he is my bonnie rantin laddie.\u2019\n240D.8 When he read a line or two,\nHe smil d eer sae bonnie;\nBut lang ere he cam to the end\nThe tears cam trinklin monie.\n240D.9 \u2018Whar will I find fifty noble lords,\nAn as monie gay ladies,\n* * * * *","title":"The Child Ballads: 240. The Rantin Laddie","type":"page"}