Hie Bonny Lassie

DESCRIPTION: A poor shepherd says "Hey, bonnie lassie, blink o'er the burn." He tells all he would do when "we'll be married and lie in ae bed": turn her sheep for her, give her his dog, knife, and half-year's fee and sell one of his two lambs to buy her a head-piece
AUTHOR: Rev. James Honeyman (died c.1779) (source: Whitelaw and Greig/Duncan4)
EARLIEST DATE: 1843 (Whitelaw-BookOfScottishSong)
KEYWORDS: poverty courting marriage farming nonballad dog sheep
FOUND IN: Britain(Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Greig/Duncan4 881, "Hey, Bonnie Lassie" (3 texts, 1 tune)
Whitelaw-BookOfScottishSong, p. 298, "Hie, Bonnie Lassie" (1 text)
Roud #6136
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 25(835), "Hie bonny lassie" ("Hie bonnie lassie, come over the burn"), unknown, no date
NOTES [59 words]: Servants and farm hands were typically hired for half a year. The offer here is for all the silver earned in that half year. See, for example, "The Hiring Fair at Hamiltonsbawn" which describes the practice in Ireland, and "Blackberry Grove" for England; the Scottish practice followed a similar calendar. See also, "Bad Luck Attend the Old Farmer." - BS
Last updated in version 3.2
File: GrD4881

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