Tramps and Hawkers

Come, a’ ye tramps and hawker lads and gaitherers o’ blaw

That tramps the country roun’ and roun’ come listen ane and a’
I’ll tell tae ye a rovin’ tale and sichts that I hae seenFar up intae the snowy north and sooth by Gretna Green

I’ve seen the high Ben Nevis a-towerin’ tae the moon
I’ve been by Crieff and Callander and roun’ by Bonny Doon
And by the Nethy’s silvery tide and places ill tae ken
Far up intae the stormy north lies Urquhart’s fairy glen

Oft hae I laughed intae myself when trudgin’ on the road
Wi’ a meal o’ bla’ upon by back, my face as brown’s a toad
Wi’ lumps o’ cake and tattie scones and cheese and braxie ham
Need thinking where I’m comin’ frae or where I’m goin’ tae gang

I’m happy in the summer time beneath the bricht blue sky
Nae thinkin’ in the mornin’ at nicht where I’m to lie
Barns or byres or anywhere, or oot among the hay
And if the weather does permit, I’m happy every day

Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond have a’ been seen by me
The Dee, the Don, the Deveron that awe flow tae the sea
Dunrobin Castle by the way, I nearly hae forgot
And aye, the rickle cairn o’ stains that marks the house o’ John o’ Groats

I think I’ll go to Paddy’s land, I’m makkin’ up my mind
For Scotland’s greatly altered now, I canna raise the wind
But I will trust in Providence, if Providence proves true
And I will sing o’ Erin’s isle ‘ere I get back to you

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