Our Goodman

1. Hame came our goodman, And hame came he, And then he saw a saddle-horse, Where nae horse should be.

2. ‘What’s this now, goodwife? What’s this I see? How came this horse here, Without the leave o’ me?’ Recitative. ‘A horse?’ quo’ she. ‘Ay, a horse,’ quo’ he.

3. ‘Shame fa’ your cuckold face, Ill mat ye see! ‘Tis naething but a broad sow, My minnie sent to me.’ ‘A broad sow?’ quo’ he. ‘Ay, a sow,’ quo’ shee.

4. ‘Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But a saddle on a sow’s back I never saw nane.’

5. Hame came our goodman, And hame came he; He spy’d a pair of jack-boots, Where nae boots should be.

6. ‘What’s this now, goodwife? What’s this I see? How came these boots here, Without the leave o’ me?’ ‘Boots?’ quo’ she. ‘Ay, boots,’ quo’ he.

7. ‘Shame fa’ your cuckold face, And ill mat ye see! It’s but a pair of water-stoups, My minnie sent to me.’ ‘Water-stoups?’ quo’ he. ‘Ay, water-stoups,’ quo’ she.

8. ‘Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But siller spurs on water-stoups I saw never nane.’

9. Hame came our goodman, And hame came he, And he saw a sword, Whare a sword should na be.

10. ‘What’s this now, goodwife? What’s this I see? How came this sword here, Without the leave o’ me?’ ‘A sword?’ quo’ she. ‘Ay, a sword,’ quo’ he.

11. ‘Shame fa’ your cuckold face, Ill mat ye see! It’s but a porridge-spurtle, My minnie sent to me.’ ‘A spurtle?’ quo’ he. ‘Ay, a spurtle,’ quo’ she.

12. ‘Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But siller-handed spurtles I saw never nane.’

13. Hame came our goodman, And hame came he; There he spy’d a powder’d wig, Where nae wig shoud be.

14. ‘What’s this now, goodwife? What’s this I see? How came this wig here, Without the leave o’ me?’ ‘A wig?’ quo’ she. ‘Ay, a wig,’ quo’ he.

15. ‘Shame fa’ your cuckold face, And ill mat you see! ’Tis naething but a clocken-hen, My minnie sent to me.’ ‘Clocken hen?’ quo’ he. ‘Ay, clocken hen,’ quo’ she.

16. ‘Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But powder on a clocken-hen I saw never nane.’

17. Hame came our goodman, And hame came he, And there he saw a muckle coat, Where nae coat shoud be.

18. ‘What’s this now, goodwife? What’s this I see? How came this coat here, Without the leave o’ me?’ ‘A coat?’ quo’ she. ‘Ay, a coat,’ quo’ he.

19. ‘Shame fa’ your cuckold face, Ill mat ye see! It’s but a pair o’ blankets, My minnie sent to me.’ ‘Blankets?’ quo’ he. ‘Ay, blankets,’ quo’ she.

20. ‘Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But buttons upon blankets I saw never nane.’

21. Ben went our goodman, And ben went he, And there he spy’d a sturdy man, Where nae man shoud be.

22. ‘What’s this now, goodwife? What’s this I see? How came this man here, Without the leave o’ me?’ ‘A man?’ quo’ she. ‘Ay, a man,’ quo’ he.

23. ‘Poor blind body, And blinder mat ye be! It’s a new milking-maid, My mither sent to me.’ ‘A maid?’ quo’ he. ‘Ay, a maid,’ quo’ she.

24. ‘Far hae I ridden, And farer hae I gane, But lang-bearded maidens I saw never nane.’

[Annotations: 3.2: ‘mat,’ may. 3.3: ‘broad,’ brood: i.e. a sow that has a litter. 3.4: ‘minnie,’ mother. 11.3: ‘porridge-spurtle,’ stick for stirring porridge. 15.3: ‘clocken-hen,’ sitting hen. 21.1: ‘Ben,’ indoors, or into the inner room.]