PARTANS IN HIS CREEL


Allie Windwick




Oh I lay in bed ower lang this mornin'
Heedless o' ma mither's warnin'
Turned and twisted all night long, and nivver closed an e'e
While ootside a million stars were winkin'
Sleep it wadnae come for thinkin'
Thinkin' o' the lovin' words that Willie said to me.

O Willie's tall an' Willies bonny
Willie hasnae muckle money
No that siller maitters when I ken I lo'e him weel
So I think I'd better tarry
Bide a wee afore I mairry
No till Willie's catchin' mair than partans in his creel.

For ma Mither ca's me young and silly
Far to young tae mairry Willie
Seventeen come Christmas day, tae Willie's twenty three
And for a' he's ever saved or striven
'T wouldnae gie the cat a livin'
A' the work that Willie's done, is rinnin' efter me

O Willie's slow an' Willie's lazy
Willie taks things ower easy
Faither says he's nothin' but a trowie ne'er dae weel
So I think I'd better tarry
Bide a wee afore I mairry
No till Willie's catchin' mair, than partans in his creel

There's a peedie croft amang the heather
Whaur he says we'll bide thegether
There he'll mak a livin' wi his boatie on the sea
There's a wee bit hoose his Faither pickit
Stoutly perched an' snugly riggit
Waitin' tae be taken ower, by Willie and by me

Willie stands aboot and whistles
Willie's field are fu' o' thistles
Thistles never brought a buddy, ony milk or meal
So I think I'd better tarry
Bide wee afore I mairry
No till Willie's catchin' mair, than partans in his creel.



Partan is a crab
Peedie is Orkney dialect for small or wee
Trowie is a troll. (Strong Norse heritage in Orkney)

(I'm not 100% certain about the word perched, 5th line 5th verse, It sounds like perched, it could be pairched,(parched) meaning dry.)

Hear it here