Bessy Bell and Mary Gray

O Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
They are twa bonie lasses,
They biggit a bower on yon burn brae
And theekit it o'er wi' rashes.
Fair Bessy Bell I loo'd yestreen,
And thought I ne'er could alter:
But Mary Gray's twa pawky een,
Soon gar my fancy falter.
Now Bessy's hair's like a lint-tap;
She smiles like a May morning.
When Phoebus starts frae Thetis' lap,
The hills with rays adorning:
White is her neck, saft is her hand,
Her waist and feet's fu' genty;
With ilka grace she can command;
Her lips, O wow! they're dainty.
And Mary's locks are like the craw,
Her een like diamond glances;
She's ay sae clean, red up and braw,
She kills whene'er she dances:
Blythe as a kid, with wit at will,
She blooming, tight, and tall is;
And guides her airs sae gracefu' still,
O Jove, she's like thy Pallas.
Dear Bessy Bell and Mary Gray,
Ye unco sair oppress us;
Our fancies jee between you twae,
Ye are sic bonie lasses:
Waes me! for baith I canna get,
To ane by law we're stinted;
Then I'll draw cuts, and tak' my fate,
And be with ane contented.

Biggit = built
Brae = steep or sloping bank of a river
Theekit = thatched
Pawky een = coquettish eyes
Gar = make, force
Lint-tap = flax on the distaff
Genty = small and handsome
Ilka = every
Red up = well dressed
Braw = fine
Unco = very
Jee = move
Stinted = restricted

Input by Ferdinando Albeggiani

Authorship

by Allan Ramsay (1686-1758)

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) , "Bessy Bell and Mary Gray", JHW. XXXII/3 no. 176, Hob. XXXIa no. 178.

Date added to the website: 2009-09-02.

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