Dance The Carl Cam' Ower the Croft 1034

The Carle he came o’er the Croft,
  And his Beard new shav’n,
He glowr’d at me’s gin he’d been daft,
  The Carle trows that I’ll ha’e him.
Howt awa’ I wonna ha’e him,
  Na forsooth I’ll no ha’e him,
New Hose and his new Shoon,
  And his Beard new shav’n.

He ga’e to me a Pair of Schoon,
  And his Beard new shav’n,
He bad me dance till they ware done,
  The Carle trows that I’d ha’e him.
Howt awa’ &c.

He ga’e to me a Pair of Gloves,
  And his Beard new shav’n,
He bad me stretch them on my Loofs,
  The Carle trows that I’d ha’e him.
Howt awa’ &c.

He ga’e to me an Ell of Lace,
  And his Beard new shav’n,
He bad me wear the Highland Dress,
  The Carle trows that I’ll ha’e him.
Howt awa’ &c.

He ga’e to me a Harn Sark,
  And his Beard new shav’n,
He said he’d kiss me in the dark,
  For that he trows that I’ll ha’e him.
Howt awa’ I maun ha’e him,
  I forsooth I’ll ha’e him,
New Hose and his new Shoon,
  And his Beard new shav’n.
– Anonymous, from William Thomson’s Orpheus Caledonius, 1725

Allan Ramsay (1684–1758), poet and editor of The Tea Table Miscellany, is credited with having polished the ancient song “to render it less objectionable on the score of delicacy”, according to Stenhouse, though what there is in the above verses which could possibly offend anyone is beyond comprehension. Ramsay’s version was included in James Johnson’s The Scots Musical Museum, Volume 2, 1788.

The carle he came o’er the croft,
  And his beard new shaven,
He look’d at me as he’d been daft,
  The carle trows that I’ll hae him.
Howt awa, I winna hae him,
  Na forsooth I winna hae him,
For a’ his beard’s new shaven,
  Not a bit will I hae him.

A siller broach he gae me niest,
  To fasten on my curchie nooked,
I wort awee upon my breast,
  But soon, alake! the tongue o’t crooked;
And sae may his; I winna hae him,
  Na, forsooth, I winna hae him,
Ane twice a bairn’s a lass’s jest;
  Sae ony fool for me may hae him.

The carle has nae fault but ane,
  For he has land and dollars plenty;
But wae’s me for him! skin and bane
  Is no for a plump lass of twenty.
Howt awa! I winna hae him,
  Na, forsooth, I winna hae him!
What signifies his dirty riggs
  And cash, without a man wi’ them?

But shou’d my canker’d daddy gar
  Me tak him 'gainst my inclination,
I warn the fumbler to beware,
  That antlers dinna claim their station.
Howt awa, I winna hae him!
  Na, forsooth, I winna hae him!
I’m flee’d to crack the haly band,
  So lawty says I shou’d na hae him.