Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Carle He Cam' Ower the Craft

Traditional

“The Carle He Cam' Ower the Craft” as printed in The Black-Bird Songster (1840).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 414 1840 · historical text
Public domainScottish songSongster
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Black-Bird Songster, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

The carle he cam' ewer the craft,

Wi' his beard new-shaven;

He leeked at me as he'd been daft—

The carle trowed that I wad hae him!

Hout awa! I winna hae him!

Na, forsooth, I winna hae him!

For a' his beard's new-shaven,

Ne'er a bit o' me will hae him,

Verse 2

A siller brooch he gae me neist,

To fasten on my curchio noekit;

I wore't a wee upon my breist,

But soon, alako! the tengue o't crookit;

And sao may his; I winna hae him

Na, forseoth, I winna hac him!

Twice-a-bairn's a lassio's jest;

Sae eny feel for me may hae him.

Verse 3

The carle has nae fault but ano;

For he has land and dollars plenty;

Bnt waes me for him, skin and bano

Is no fer a plump lass ef twenty.

Hout awa, I winna hao him!

Na, fersooth, I winna hae him!

What signifies his dirty riggs,

And cash, without a man wi' them?

Verse 4

But sheuld my cankert daddie gar

Me tak him 'gainst my inclination,

I warn the fumbler to bewaro

That antlers dinna clain their station.

Hout awa! I winna hao him!

Na, forsooth, I winna hae him!

I'm fleyod to crack the holy band,

Sae lawty says, I shouldna hae him.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. Historical text published in The Black-Bird Songster (1840); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Black-Bird Songster (1840), “The Carle He Cam' Ower the Craft”

Every contribution in this 1840 songster predates modern copyright terms; any contributor died more than 130 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-26. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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