O MERRY may the maid be That marries wi' the miller, For, foul day and fair day, He's aye bringing till her, -- Has aye a penny in his purse For dinner or for supper; And, gin she please, a good fat cheese And lumps of yellow butter. When Jamie first did woo me I speir'd what was his calling; 'Fair maid,' says he, 'O come and see, Ye're welcome to my dwalling,' Though I was shy, yet could I spy The truth o' what he told me, And that his house was warm and couth, And room in it to hold me. Behind the door a bag o' meal, And in the kist was plenty O' guid hard cakes his mither bakes, And bannocks werena scanty. A guid fat sow, a sleeky cow Was standing in the byre, Whilst lazy puss with mealy mouse Was playing at the fire. Guid signs are these, my mither says, And bids me tak' the miller; For, foul day and fair day, He's aye bringing till her: For meal and maut she doesna want, Nor anything that's dainty; And now and then a keckling hen, To lay her eggs in plenty. In winter, when the wind and rain Blaws o'er the house and byre, He sits beside a clean hearth-stane, Before a rousing fire. With nut-brown ale he tells his tale, Which rows him o'er fu' nappy: -- Wha'd be a king -- a petty thing, When a miller lives so happy? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LONDON SNOW by ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES THE PLANTING OF THE APPLE TREE by WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT A BOOK OF AIRS: SONG 9 by THOMAS CAMPION THE JOURNEY by EMILY DICKINSON THE MORNING-GLORY by MARIA WHITE LOWELL THE VIRGINIANS OF THE VALLEY by FRANCIS ORRERY TICKNOR HE GIVES HIS BELOVED CERTAIN RHYMES by WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS TIPPERARY: 4. BY OUR OWN A. E. HOUSMAN by FRANKLIN PIERCE ADAMS |