)
Her cutty sark, o' Paisley harn, [short-shift, coarse linen]
That while a lassie she had worn,
In longitude tho' sorely scanty,
It was her best, and she was vauntie. [proud]
Ah! little kent thy reverend grannie
That sark she coft for her wee Nannie [bought]
Wi' twa pund Scots ('twas a' her riches) [pounds]
Wad ever grac'd a dance of witches!
But here my muse her wing maun cour; [stoop]
Sic flights are far beyond her pow'r--
To sing how Nannie lap and flang, [leapt, kicked]
(A souple jade she was, and strang);
And how Tam stood, like ane bewitch'd,
And thought his very een enrich'd;
Even Satan glowr'd, and fidg'd fu' fain, [fidgeted with fondness]
And hotch'd and blew wi' might and main: [jerked]
Till first ae caper, syne anither, [then]
Tam tint his reason a' thegither, [lost]
And roars out 'Weel done, Cutty-sark!' [Short-shift]
And in an instant all was dark!
And scarcely had he Maggie rallied,
When out the hellish legion sallied.
As bees bizz out wi' angry fyke [fret]
When plundering herds assail their byke, [herd-boys, nest]
As open pussie's mortal foes [the hare's]
When pop! she starts before their nose,
As eager runs the market-crowd,
When 'Catch the thief!' resounds aloud;
So Maggie runs; the witches follow,
Wi' mony an eldritch skriech and hollo.
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