'Ae hairst afore the Sherra-moor,-- [One harvest, Sherriffmuir]
I mind't as weel's yestreen, [remember, last night]
I was a gilpey then, I'm sure [young girl]
I was na past fyfteen:
The simmer had been cauld an' wat,
An' stuff was unco green; [grain, extremely]
An' aye a rantin' kirn we gat, [rollicking harvest-home]
An' just on Halloween
It fell that night.
'Our stibble-rig was Rab M'Graen, [chief harvester]
A clever, sturdy fallow;
His sin gat Eppie Sim wi' wean, [son, child]
That liv'd in Achmacalla;
He gat hemp-seed,[14] I mind it weel,
An' he made unco light o't: [very]
But mony a day was by himsel, [beside himself]
He was sae sairly frighted [sorely]
That vera night.'
Then up gat fechtin' Jamie Fleck, [fighting]
An' he swoor by his conscience
That he could saw hemp-seed a peck; [sow]
For it was a' but nonsense: [merely]
The auld guidman raught down the pock, [reached, bag]
An' out a handfu' gied him; [gave]
Syne bad him slip frae 'mang the folk, [Then]
Sometime when nae ane see'd him, [saw]
An' try't that night.
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