Waukrif Mammie- (Edin) 1795 print

Waukrif Mammie- (Edin) 1795 print

[My abbreviated title. From: "Four Excellent New Songs: The Lassie Lost Her Maidenhead a' for Her Waukrif Mammie. Johnie Cope. Rinorden, Or The Mountains High The General Toast. Entered and Licenced."

The earliest extant appearance of the identifying stanza (How old are you?) in print is found in this 1795 version that probably was printed in Edinburgh (two sources have: Edinburgh?) It sent to me by Steve Gardham. The Scottish dialect has been tempered and there's a second chorus for the last stanza which may have been used throughout. Cf. Crawfurd's 1829 version of 10 stanzas.

The lass is fourteen but will be fifteen on Sunday, the youngest age of many versions.

R. Mateson 2018]

The Lassie Lost Her Maidenhead a' for Her Waukrif Mammie.

As I went o'er the Highland hills,
I met a bonnie lassie;
She looked at me, and I at her,
And vow[1] but she was saucy.
   CHORUS: To my rou tou fal dee lal, &c

Where are you going, my bonny lass?
Where are you going, my honey?
Right modestly she answer'd me,
An errand for my mammie.
To my rou tou fal dee lal, &c

What is your age, my bonny lass?
What is your age, my honey?
Right modestly she answer'd me,
I'm fifteen years come Sunday.
To my rou tou fal dee lal, &c[2]

Will you take a man, my bonny lass?
Will you take a man, my honey?
Right modestly she answer'd me,
I dare not for my mammie.

Where do you live, my bonnie lass?
Where do you live, my honey?
Right modestly she answer'd me,
In a wie[wee] house wi' my mammie.

I went into my love's chamber,
To see if she was wauking,
But we had not spoke a word or to [two]
Till her mother heard us talking.

Then she began to blaw the coal,
To see if she could ken me;
But I creeped out at the bed-foot,
And took the fields to screen me.

Then she took her by the hair of the head,
And to the floor she brought her,
And with a good green hazel rung,
She made her a well paid daughter.

O haul your hand, mother she says
You're like for to devour me;
For I would never have done the like,
If you had not done't[3] before me.

Blink o'er the burn, my bonny lass,
Blink o'er the burn, my honey,
For you've got the clod that will not cling,
In spite of your waulkrif mammie.

So fare thee well, my bonnie lass,
So fare thee well, my honey,
For I would come and see you again,
Weren't for your wakerif mammy.
   With my rou tou fal dam dail,
   All, all de to my tou.

1. wow (Some dialect appears with the "v" replacing the "w" and an "f" replacing "wh")
2. Chorus throughout
3. dont't