Volume III, song 226, pages 234 and 235 - 'The Gaberlunzie-man' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: 'The pawky auld carl came o'er the lee, Wi' many good e'ens and days to me, Saying goodwife for your courtesie Will ye lodge a silly silly poor man. The night was cauld, the carl was wat, And down ayont the ingle he sat, My daughter's shoulders he gan to clap And cadgily cadgily ranted and sang.' A 'gaberlunzie' was a licenced beggar and a 'gaberlunzie-man' was a beggar who carried a wallet. A 'pawky auld carl' translates from Scots as a shrewd and sly, old churlish man. The 'ingle' in a house is the open fireplace and 'cadgily' is merrily or happily. The 'Scots Musical Museum' is the most important of the numerous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections of Scottish song. When the engraver James Johnson started work on the second volume of his collection in 1787, he enlisted Robert Burns as contributor and editor. Burns enthusiastically collected songs from various sources, often expanding or revising them, whilst including much of his own work. The resulting combination of innovation and antiquarianism gives the work a feel of living tradition. There is a tradition that attributes the authorship of this song to James V. He was renown for travelling around Scotland as an 'ordinary' citizen and rmingling with his people. There is, however, another tradition which links these lyrics with James IV's court. Neither of these can now be verified. There is, however, no record of this tune and its lyrics prior to 1724 and the publication of Ramsay's 'Tea-Table Miscellany'.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503423

Title

Volume III, song 226, pages 234 and 235 - 'The Gaberlunzie-man' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 263 x 211 mm