Dance Jenny, Come down to Jock 3237

Jocky he came here to woo,
   On a feast day, when we were fu’;
And Jenny pat on her best array,
   When she heard that Jocky was come that way.

Jenny she gaed up the stair,
   Sae privily to change her smock;
And ay sae loud as her mither did rair,
   Hey, Jenny, come down to Jock.

Jenny she came down the stair,
   And she came bobbin and bekin ben;
Her stays they were lac’d and her waist it was jimp,
   And a bra’ new-made manco gown.

Jocky took her by the hand,
   O, Jenny, can ye fancy me?
My father is dead and has left me some land,
   And bra’ houses twa or three.

And I will gie them a’ to thee.
   A haith, quo Jenny, I fear you mock:
Then foul fa’ me gin I scorn thee;
   If ye’ll be my Jenny, I’ll be your Jock.

Jenny lookit, and syne she leugh,
   Ye first maun get my mither’s consent;
A weel, goodwife, and what say ye.
   Quo’ she, Jock, I’m weel content.

Jenny to her mither did say,
   O mither, fetch us some gude meat;
A piece of the butter was kirn’d the day,
   That Jocky and I thegither may eat.

Jocky unto Jenny did say,
   Jenny, my dear, I want nae meat;
It was nae for meat that I came here,
   But a’ for the love of you, Jenny, my dear.

Then Jocky and Jenny were led to their bed,
   And Jocky he lay neist the stock;
And five or six times ere break of day,
   He ask’d at Jenny how she lik’d Jock.

Quo’ Jenny, Dear Jock, you gie me content,
   I bless my mither for gieing consent;
And on the next morning before the first cock
   Our Jenny did cry, I dearly love Jock.

Jenny she gaed up the gait,
   Wi’ a green gown as side as her smock;
And ay sae loud as her mither did rair,
   Yow, sirs! has nae Jenny got Jock.

This old ballad was based on an only slightly older one called “Rob’s Jock” which was published in 1568 by George Bannatyne.