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Translation
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Aften Hae I Play'd At The Cards
And The Dice

TUNE: The rantin laddie (The boisterous lad)

 

Burns Original

Standard English Translation

Aften Hae I Play'd At The Cards
And The Dice

1.
Aften hae I play'd at the cards and the dice,
For the love of a bonie rantin laddie;
But now I maun sit in my father's kitchen neuk,
And balou a bastard babie.
2.
For my father he will not me own,
And my mother she neglects me,
And a' my friends hae lightlied me,
And their servants they do slight me.
3.
But had I a servant at my command -
As aft times I've had many,
That wad rin wi' a letter to bonie Glenswood -
Wi' a letter to my rantin laddie.
4.
' Oh, is he either a laird or a lord,
Or is he but a cadie,
That ye do him ca' sae aften by name,
Your bonie, bonie rantin laddie.'
5.
' Indeed he is baith a laird and a lord,
And he never was a cadie,
For he is the Earl o' bonie Aboyne,
And he is my rantin laddie.'
6.
' O ye'se get a servant at your command,
As aft times ye've had many,
That sall rin wi' a letter to bonie Glenswood -
A letter to your rantin laddie.'
7.
When Lord Aboyne did the letter get,
O, but he blinket bonie;
But or he had read three lines or it,
I think his heart was sorry.
8.
' O, wha is he daur be sae bauld,
Sae cruelly to use my lassie?'
(But I'll tak her to bonie Aboyne
Where oft she did caress me.)
9.
' For her father he will not her know,
And her mother she does slight her;
And a' her friends hae lightlied her,
And their servants they neglect her.'
10.
' Go raise to me my five hundred men,
Make haste and make them ready;
With a milkwhite steed under every ane
For to bring hame my lady.'
11.
As they came in through Buchan-shire,
They were a company bonie,
With a gude claymore in every hand
And O, but they shin'd bonie.

Often Have I Played At The Cards
And The Dice


Often have I played at the cards and the dice,
For the love of a handsome boisterous lad;
But now I must sit in my father's kitchen nook,
And hush a bastard baby.

For my father he will not me own,
And my mother she neglects me,
And all my friends have scorned me,
And their servants they do slight me.

But had I a servant at my command -
As often times I have had many,
That would run with a letter to lovely Glenswood -
With a letter to my boisterous lad

' Oh, is he either a laird or a lord,
Or is he but a servant,
That you do him call so often by name,
Your handsome, handsome boisterous lad.'

' Indeed he is both a laird and a lord,
And he never was a servant,
For he is the Earl of lovely Aboyne,
And he is my boisterous lad.'

' O you shall get a servant at your command,
As often times you have had many,
That shall run with a letter to lovely Glenswood -
A letter to your boisterous lad.'

When Lord Aboyne did the letter get,
O, but he blinked pleasantly;
But before he had read three lines or it,
I think his heart was sorry.

' O, who is he dare be so bold,
So cruelly to use my lass?'
(But I will take her to lovely Aboyne
Where often she did caress me.)

' For her father he will not her know,
And her mother she does slight her;
And all her friends have scorned her,
And their servants they neglect her.'

' Go raise to me my five hundred men,
Make haste and make them ready;
With a milk-white steed under every one
For to bring home my lady.'

As they came in through Buchan-shire,
They were a company handsome,
With a good claymore (highland sword) in every hand
And O, but they shined pleasantly.

 

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