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    Bogie's Bonnie Belle
    Album: Auld Scotch Sangs
     
    Traditional
    A "bothy" ballad from North-East Scotland. This is a tale of seduction that shows the social gulf between the farmer and his employees. The song ends with the farm labourer gloating over the sad fate of his former love who marries one of the despised tinker clan. This illustrates a prejudice among those of North-East Scotland; an intolerance of the travelling people that unfortunately still lingers on.  
     
     
    At market day in Huntley toon, twas there I did agree,
    Wi' Bogieside, the fairmer, a sax-month for tae fee.
    Noo Bogie wis a surly carle, and I did know this well
    But Bogie had a docther braw, and her name, it was Belle.

    Noo Bell, she wis the bonniest lass in a' the countryside,
    And very soon I lost my heart tae the belle o' Bogieside.
    And often on a simmer's nicht I'd wander wi' my dear,
    Tae watch the trooties loupin', on Bogie's water clear.

    Tho' weel I kent I wis nae match for Bogie's Bonnie Bell,
    Fan e'er she turned her e'e on me, she fairly cast a spell.
    I tried in vain tae keep awa' fan it cam tae eventide,
    But in a dream I'd wander, till we met on Bogieside.

    'Twas just afore the term-time, auld Bogie cam tae me,
    An' said, wi' face as black as nicht,"It's you I want tae see.
    In fact my docther says is true we can nae longer 'gree.
    An' it's doon the road ye'll gang, without a penny o' yer fee."

    Says I, "Auld man, ye're fairly richt." I hung my head in shame.
    "Bit I will mairry Bell the morn, and gie tae her my name.'
    He cursed and swore, and in his rage he said that raither he
    Wid see his docther lyin' deid than mairriet unto me.

    Tho' I wis bit a plooman chiel, I thocht he wis some sair,
    Tho' hard it wis tae pairt wi' Bell, I didna say nae mair.
    Bit packed my kist and left the toon, puir Bell I didna see,
    I was that mad I niver socht the wages due tae me.

    And noo a tinker she has wed, his nickname's Sowder John,
    She hawks his pans and roosers a' roon by Foggieloan.
    They say auld Bogie rues the day that he did rave and yell.
    A weel, 'Twas me first won the heart o' Bogie's Bonnie Bell.

     
    Glossary
    a': all
    auld: old
    awa': away
    braw: handsome
    deid: dead
    didna: did not
    doon: down
    docther: daughter
    e'e: eye
    fan: when
    fee: wages
    gin: give
    kent: knew
    kist: chest, trunk
    loupin': leaping
    mair: more
    nae: no
    nicht: night
    noo: now
    o': of
    plooman chiel: plowman's child
    puir: poor
    roosers: junk
    sair: fierce
    sax-month: six-month
    simmer: summer
    socht: saught
    tae: to
    tinker: peddler, trader
    trooties: trout
    twis: it was
    weel: well
    wi': with
    wid: would
    win, wis: was

     

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