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' hae I playd at the cards and the dice, For the love of a bonie rantin laddie, But now I maun sit in my father's kitchen-neuk And balow a bastard babie. 'For my father he will not me own, And my mother she neglects me, And a' my friends hae lightlyed me, And their servants they do slight me. 'But had I a servant at my command, As aft times I've had many, That wad rin wi a letter to bonie Glenswood, Wi a letter to my rantin laddie!' 'O is he either a laird or a lord, Or is he but a cadie, That ye do him ca sae aften by name Your bonie, bonie rantin laddie?' 'Indeed he is baith a laird and a lord, And he never was a cadie, But he is the Earl o bonie Aboyne, And he is my rantin laddie.' 'O ye'se get a servant at your command, As aft times ye've had many, That sall rin wi a letter to bonie Glenswood, A letter to your rantin laddie.' When Lord Aboyne did the letter get, O but he blinket bonie! But or he had read three lines of it I think his heart was sorry. 'O wha is [this] daur be sae bauld Sae cruelly to use my lassie? . . . . . . . 'For her father he will not her know, And her mother she does slight her, And a' her friends hae lightlied her, And their servants they neglect her. 'Go raise to me my five hundred men, Make haste and make them ready, With a milk-white steed under every ane, For to bring hame my lady.' As they cam in thro Buchanshire, They were a company bonie, With a gude claymor in every hand, And O but they shin'd bonie! = = ' have I playd at the cards an the dyce, The war so very enticin; But this is a sad an a sorrowfu seat, To see my apron risin. 'Oft hae I playd at the cards an the dice For love of my [rantin] laddie; But now I man sit in my father's kitchie-nouk, A rokkin o my baby. 'But gin I had ane o my father's servans, For he has so mony, That wad gae to the wood o Glentanner, Wi a letter to the rantin laddie!' 'Here am I, ane o your father's servans, For he has sae mony, That will gae to the wood o Glentanner, Wi a letter to the rantin laddie.' 'Fan ye gae to Aboyne, To the woods o Glentanner sae bonny, Wi your hat in your hand gie a bow to the ground, In the presence o the rantin laddie.' Fan he gaed to Aboyne, To the woods o Glentanner sae bonny, Wi his hat in his hand he gied a bow to the ground, In the presence of the rantin laddie. Fan he looked the letter on Sae loud as he was laughin! But or he read it to an end The tears they cam down rappin. 'O fa is this or fa is that Has been so ill to my Maggie? . . . . . . . . 'But ye gett four-and-twenty milk white steeds, Wi an car . . . An as mony gay ladies to ride them on, To gae an bring hame my Maggie. 'Ye get four-and-twenty bonny brown steeds, Wi an car o an ome, An as mony knights to ride them on, To gae an bring hame my Maggie.' Ye lasses a', far ever ye be, An ye match wi ony o our Deeside laddies, Ye'll happy be, ye'l happy be, For they are frank and kind. = = ' hae I playd at cards and dice For the love o a bonny rantin laddie, But now I maun sit i my father's kitchen-nook, And sing, Hush, balow, my baby. 'If I had been wise, and had taen advice, And dane as my bonny love bade me, I would hae been married at Martinmass, And been wi my rantin laddie. 'But I was na wise, I took nae advice, Did not as my bonny love bade me, And now I maun sit by mysel i the nook, And rock my bastard baby. 'If I had horse at my command, As often I had many, I would ride on to the Castle o Aboyne, Wi a letter to my rantin laddie.' Down the stair her father came, And look d proud and saucy: 'Who is the man, and what is his name, That ye ca your rantin laddie? 'Is he a lord, or is he a laird? Or is he but a caddie? Or is it the young Earl o Aboyne That ye ca your rantin laddie?' 'He is a young and noble lord, He never was a caddie; It is the noble Earl o Aboyne That I ca my rantin laddie.' 'Ye shall hae a horse at your command, As ye had often many, To go to the Castle o Aboyne, Wi a letter to your rantin laddie. 'Where will I get a little page, Where will I get a caddie, That will run quick to bonny Aboyne, Wi this letter to my rantin laddie?' Then out spoke the young scullion-boy, Said, Here am I, a caddie; I will run on to bonny Aboyne, Wi the letter to your rantin laddie. 'Now when ye come to bonny Deeside, Where woods are green and bonny, There will ye see the Earl o Aboyne, Among the bushes mony. 'And when ye come to the lands o Aboyne, Where all around is bonny, Ye'll take your hat into your hand, Gie this letter to my rantin laddie.' When he came near the banks of Dee, The birks were blooming bonny, And there he saw the Earl o Aboyne, Among the bushes mony.