Traditional Scottish Songs
- She's An Awfu' Lassie Jenny
Here is a short song by Alexander Anderson (1845-1909) about a young lass who has a mind of her own and is not only giving her suitor a hard time but her mother as well!
She's An Awfu' Lassie Jenny
She's an awfu' lassie, Jenny,
No' her like in a' the toon,
For her heid is fu' o' mischief,
And her hair is hingin' doon.
What a faught maun ha'e her mither
Frae the mornin' till the nicht,
But she's awfu' like her granny,
An' that pits wee Jenny richt.I ha'e tried to coort wee Jenny
But she'll no' ha'e me ava',
She wad raither ha'e a penny
To buy sweeties or a ba',
When I speak o' oor sweetheartin',
Just as lown as lown can be,
Wad ye think it for a moment?
She pits oot her tongue at me.She's an awfu' lassie Jenny,
Yet a denty, bonnie quean,
An' there's licht, an' love, an' lauchter
A' at ance within her een.
Yet I ken fu' weel her mither
Maun get mony an unco fricht,
But she's awfu' like her granny
An' that pits wee Jenny richt.Meaning of unusual words:
faught maun ha'e her mither = struggle must have her mother
coort = court, woo
no' ha'e me ava' = not have me at all
sweeties or a ba' = sweets / candies or a ball
lown = soft, gentle
licht, an' love, an' lauchter = light and love and laughter
ance within her een = once within her eye
ken fu' weel = know full well
Maun get mony an unco fricht = must get many a great fright
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