Traditional Scottish Songs
- A Mither's Sang
The song below by Charles Nicol (born 1858) is typical of many that he wrote. Nicol has often been described as "The Poet of the Nursery." There are a very large number of finely written songs referring to "Bairns" and "Bairnhood" which are understood and enjoyed by many a "mither."
A Mither's Sang
Hush, my bonnie bairnie;
Dinna greet sae sair;
Mammie noo has dune her best -
What can she dae mair?
If my wee lass will be quiet,
Or try to sleep a wee,
When she rises, oh, sae gran'
Will oor housie be!Tottie noo has fa'en asleep,
An' her ma' is gled;
Puir wee thing, she maun be tired,
That's her first in bed.
Na, na, na, she winna sleep;
There she's up again!
An' dear me, what will I dae?
If this isna pain.Tottie, you're a waukrife thing;
You've been up a' day,
Yet still ye winna rest;
What'll mammie dae?
No a'e word yet I get frae her,
But her usual cry;
Hoo I wish that she was bigger,
An' a' this was by.Meaning of unusual words:
bairnie = child
greet sae sair = cry so grievously
Tottie = Diminutive name for a girl
maun = must
waukrife = wakeful, sleepless
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