The Scottish songs - National Library of Scotland

648
A SOUTH-SEA SONG*
RAMSAY.
Tune—For our lang hiding here.
When we cam to London toun,
We dreamed of gowd in gowpens-j- here,
And rantingly ran up and doun^
In rising stocks to buy a skair :
|
We daftly thought to row in rowtb,
But for our daffin'
§ paid richt dear
will fare the waur in trowth,
For our lang biding here.
The lave ||
But when we fand our purses toom,^
And dainty stocks began to fa',
We hung our lugs,^* and, wi' a gloom,
Girned at stock-jobbing, ane and a'.
If ye gang near the South-sea House,
The whilly-whas'|-'|- will grip your gear ;
Syne a' the lave will fare the waur
For our lans: bidinar here.
* Written on the famous South-Sea Bubble, 1720.
A goivpen, in the i"
Scottish language, signifies as much as one can hold
in both hands together.
:j: Share.
§ Da^;i'— sportive behaviour. For instance, a late professor of the College
of Edinburgh used to translate " Dulce est desipere in loco," ivceltimed
daffin'.
rest. ^ Empty. ** Ears.
The II
tt Whilly-wha is an epithet of contempt, applied to a person who endeavours
to deceive by the plenitude and glossiness of his language.
;