THE SILLY BLIND HARPER

O heard you of a silly Harper,
Liv'd long in Lochmaben town,
How he did gang to fair England,
To steal King Henry's wanton brown?
Sing faden dilly and faden dilly
Sing faden dilly and deedle Dan.

But first he gaed to his gude wife
Wi' a' the speed that he cou'd thole:
This wark, quo' he, will never work,
Without a mare that has a foal.
This wark, quo' he, will never work,
Without a mare that has a foal.

Quo' she, thou has a gude grey mare,
That'll rin o'er hills baith low and hie;
Gae tak' the grey mare in thy hand,
And leave its foal at hame wi' me.
Gae tak' the grey mare in thy hand,
And leave the foal at hame wi' me.

And tak' a halter in they hose,
And o' thy purpose dinna fail;
But wap it o'er the wanton's nose;
And tie her to the grey mare's tail:
But wap it o'er the wanton's nose;
And tie her to the grey mare's tail:

Syne ca' her out at yon back yeate,
O'er moss and muir and ilka dale,
For she'll ne'er let the wanton bite,
Till she come hame to her ain foal.
For she'll ne'er let the wanton bite,
Till she come hame to her ain foal.

So he is up to England gane,
Even as fast as he can hie,
Till he came to King Henry's yeate;
And wha' was there but King Henry?
Till he came to King Henry's yeate;
And wha' was there but King Henry?

Come in, quo' he, thou silly blind Harper;
And of thy harping let me hear.
O! by my sooth, quo' the silly blind Harper,
I'd rather hae stabling for my mare.
O! by my sooth, quo' the silly blind Harper,
I'd rather hae stabling for my mare.

The King looks O'er his left shoulder,
And says unto his stable groom,
Gae take the silly poor Harper's mare,
And tie her 'side my wanton brown.
Gae take the silly poor Harper's mare,
And tie her 'side my wanton brown.

And ay he harped, and ay he carpit,
Till a' the Lords gaed through the floor,
They thought the music was sae sweet,
That they forgat the stable door.
They thought the music was sae sweet,
That they forgat the stable door.

And ay he harped, and ay he carpit,
Till a' the nobles were sound asleep,
Than quietly he took off his shoon,
And saftly down the stair did creep.
Than quietly he took off his shoon,
And saftly down the stair did creep.

Syne to the stable door he hies,
Wi' tread as light as light cou'd be,
And whan he open'd and gaed in,
There he fand thirty good steeds and three.
And whan he open'd and gaed in,
There he fand thirty good steeds and three.

He took the halter frae his hose,
And of his purpose did na' fail;
He slipt it o'er the Wanton's nose,
And tied it to his grey mare's tail.
He slipt it o'er the Wanton's nose,
And tied it to his grey mare's tail.

He ca'd her out at yon back yeate,
O'er moss and muir and ilka dale,
And she loot ne'er the wanton bite,
But held her still gaun at her tail.
And she loot ne'er the wanton bite,
But held her still gaun at her tail.

The grey mare was right swift o' fit,
And did na fail to find the way,
For she was at Lochmaben yeate,
Fu' lang three hours ere it was day.
For she was at Lochmaben yeate,
Fu' lang three hours ere it was day.

When she came to the Harper's door,
There she gae mony a nicher and snear,
Rise, quo' the wife, thou lazy lass,
Let in thy master and his mare.
Rise, quo' the wife, thou lazy lass,
Let in thy master and his mare.

Then up she raise, pat on her claes,
And lookit out through the lock-hole,
O! by my sooth then quoth the lass,
Our mare has gotten a braw big foal.
O! by my sooth then quoth the lass,
Our mare has gotten a braw big foal.

Come haud thy peace, then foolish lass,
The moon's but glancing in thy ee,
I'll wad my haill fee 'gainst a groat,
It's bigger then e'er our foal will be.
I'll wad my haill fee 'gainst a groat,
It's bigger then e'er our foal will be.

The neighbours too that heard the noise,
Cried to the wife to put her in,
By my sooth, then quoth the wife,
She's better than ever he rade on.
I'll wad my haill fee 'gainst a groat,
It's bigger then e'er our foal will be.

But on the morn at fair day light,
When they had ended a' their chear,
King Henry's wanton brown was stawn,
And eke the poor old Harper's mare.
King Henry's wanton brown was stawn,
And eke the poor old Harper's mare.

Alace! alace! says the silly blind Harper,
Alace! alace! that I came here,
In Scotland I've a braw cowte foal,
In England they've stawn my gude grey mare.
In Scotland I've a braw cowte foal,
In England they've stawn my gude grey mare.

Come had thy tongue, thou silly blind Harper
And of they alacing let me be,
For thou shall get a better mare,
And weel paid shall thy coste foal be.
For thou shall get a better mare,
And weel paid shall thy coste foal be.

Source: James Johnson & Robert Burns, The Scots Musical Museum, vol. VI; Number 579, p. 598 published 1803
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Kilt and Harp

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