The Five Carlins (Poem by Robert Burns)

 

The Five Carlins

A Scots Ballad

By Robert Burns

There were five carlins in the south,

    They fell upon a scheme,

To send a lad to London town,

    To bring them tidings hame.

Not only bring them tidings hame,

    But do their errands there;

And aiblins gowd and honour baith

    Might be that laddie’s share.

There was Maggy by the banks o’ Nith,

    A dame wi’ pride eneugh;

And Marjory o’ the mony lochs,

    A carlin auld and teugh.

And blinkin’ Bess of Annandale,

    That dwelt near Solway-side;

And whiskey Jean, that took her gill

    In Galloway sae wide.

And black Joan, frae Crighton-peel,

    O’ gipsey kith an’ kin; — 

Five wighter carlins were na found

    The south countrie within.

To send a lad to London town,

    They met upon a day;

And mony a knight, and mony a laird,

    This errand fain wad gae.

O mony a knight, and mony a laird,

    This errand fain wad gae;

But nae ane could their fancy please,

    O ne’er a ane but twae.

The first ane was a belted knight,

    Bred of a border band;

And he wad gae to London town,

    Might nae man him withstand.

And he wad do their errands weel,

    And meikle he wad say;

And ilka ane about the court

    Wad bid to him gude-day.

The neist cam in a sodger youth,

    And spak wi’ modest grace,

And he wad gae to London town,

    If sae their pleasure was.

He wad na hecht them courtly gifts,

    Nor meikle speech pretend;

But he wad hecht an honest heart,

    Wad ne’er desert his friend.

Then wham to chuse, and wham refuse,

    At strife thir carlins fell;

For some had gentlefolks to please,

    And some wad please themsel’.

Then out spak mim-mou’d Meg o’ Nith,

    And she spak up wi’ pride,

And she wad send the sodger youth,

    Whatever might betide.

For the auld gudeman o’ London court

    She didna care a pin;

But she wad send the sodger youth

    To greet his eldest son.

Then slow raise Marjory o’ the Lochs

    And wrinkled was her brow;

Her ancient weed was russet gray,

    Her auld Scotch heart was true.

“The London court set light by me — 

    I set as light by them;

And I wilt send the sodger lad

    To shaw that court the same.”

Then up sprang Bess of Annandale,

    And swore a deadly aith,

Says, “I will send the border-knight

    Spite o’ you carlins baith.

“For far-off fowls hae feathers fair,

    And fools o’ change are fain;

But I hae try’d this border-knight,

    I’ll try him yet again.”

Then whiskey Jean spak o’er her drink,

    “Ye weel ken, kimmersa’,

The auld gudeman o’ London court,

    His back’s been at the wa’.

“And mony a friend that kiss’d his caup,

    Is now a fremit wight;

But it’s ne’er be sae wi’ whiskey Jean, — 

    We’ll send the border-knight.”

Says black Joan o’ Crighton-peel,

    A carlin stoor and grim, — 

“The auld gudeman, or the young gudeman,

    For me may sink or swim.

“For fools will prate o’ right and wrang,

    While knaves laugh in their sleeve;

But wha blaws best the horn shall win,

    I’ll spier nae courtier’s leave.”

So how this mighty plea may end

    There’s naebody can tell:

God grant the king, and ilka man,

    May look weel to himsel’!