The Lammie Poem by Hector Macneill

'Whar hae ye been a' day, my boy Tammy?
Whar hae ye been a' day, my boy Tammy?'
'I've been by burn and flowery brae,
Meadow green, and mountain grey,
Courting o' this young thing,
Just come frae her mammy.'

'And whar gat ye that young thing,
My boy Tammy?'
'I gat her down in yonder bow,
Smiling on a broomy know,
Herding ae wee lamb and ewe
For her poor mammy.'

'What said ye to the bonie bairn,
My boy Tammy?'
'I prais'd her een, sae lovely blue,
Her dimpled cheek, and cherry mou;
I pree'd if aft as ye may true!
She said, she'd tell her mammy.

I held her to my beating heart,
My young, my smiling Lammie!
'I hae a house, it cost me dear,
I've walth o' plenishen and geer;
Ye'se get it a' war't ten times mair,
Gin ye will leave your mammy.'

The smile gade aff her bonie face
'I maun nae leave my mammy;
She's gi'en me meat, she's gi'en me claise,
She's been my comfort a' my days :
My father's death brought mony waes
I canna leave my mammy.'

'We'll tak her hame and make her fain,
My ain kind-hearted Lammie!
We'll gie her meat, we'll gie her claise,
We'll be her comfort a' her days.'
The wee thing gie's her hand and says,
'There! gang and ask my mammy!'

'Has she been to kirk wi' thee,
My boy Tammy?'
'She has been to kirk wi' me,
And the tear was in her ee,
But O! she's but a young thing
Just come frae her mammy.'