The Baron o Leys (Child 241)

The Laird of Leys is on to Edinbrugh,
To shaw a fit o his follie;
He drest himsel in the crimson-brown,
An he provd a rantin laddie.

Ben came a weel-faird lass,
Says, Laddie, how do they ca ye?
‘They ca me this, an they ca me that,
Ye wudna ken fat they ca me;
But whan I’m at home on bonnie Deeside
They ca me The Rantin Laddie.’

They sought her up, they sought her down,
They sought her in the parlour;
She coudna be got but whar she was,
In the bed wi The Rantin Laddie.

‘Tell me, tell me, Baron of Leys,
Ye tell me how they ca ye!
Your gentle blood moves in my side,
An I dinna ken how they ca ye.’

‘They ca me this, an they ca me that,
Ye couldna ken how they ca me;
But whan I’m at home on bonnie Deeside
They ca me The Rantin Laddie.’

‘Tell me, tell me, Baron of Leys,
Ye tell me how they ca ye!
Your gentle blood moves in my side,
An I dinna ken how to ca ye.’

‘Baron of Leys, it is my stile,
Alexander Burnett they ca me;
Whan I’m at hame on bonnie Deeside
My name is The Rantin Laddie.’

‘Gin your name be Alexander Burnett,
Alas that ever I saw ye!
For ye hae a wife and bairns at hame,
An alas for lyin sae near ye!

‘But I’se gar ye be headit or hangt,
Or marry me the morn,
Or else pay down ten thousand crowns
For giein o me the scorn.’

‘For my head, I canna want;
I love my lady dearly;
But some o my lands I maun lose in the case,
Alas for lyin sae near ye!’

Word has gane to the Lady of Leys
That the laird he had a bairn;
The warst word she said to that was,
‘I wish I had it in my arms.

‘For I will sell my jointure-lands—
I am broken an I’m sorry—
An I’ll sell a’, to my silk gowns,
An get hame my rantin laddie.’