w frae 'mang them a' [stole]
To pou their stalks o' corn;[9]
But Rab slips out, an' jinks about, [dodges]
Behint the muckle thorn:
He grippit Nelly hard an' fast;
Loud skirled a' the lasses; [squealed]
But her tap-pickle maist was lost, [almost]
When kiutlin' i' the fause-house[10] [cuddling]
Wi' him that night.

The auld guidwife's well-hoordit nits[11] [well-hoarded nuts]
Are round an' round divided,
An' mony lads' an' lasses' fates
Are there that night decided:
Some kindle, couthie, side by side, [comfortably]
An' burn thegither trimly;
Some start awa, wi' saucy pride,
An' jump out-owre the chimlie [out of the chimney]
Fu' high that night.

Jean slips in twa, wi' tentie e'e; [watchful]
Wha 'twas, she wadna tell;
But this is _Jock_, an' this is _me_,
She says in to hersel: [whispers]
He bleez'd owre her, an' she owre him, [blazed]
As they wad never mair part;
Till fuff! he started up the lum, [chimney]
An' Jean had e'en a sair heart
To see't that night.

Poor Willie, wi' his bow-kail runt, [cabbage stump]
Was brunt wi' primsie Mallie, [precise Molly]
An' Mary, nae doubt, took the drunt, [huff]
To be compar'd to Willie:
Mall's nit lap out, wi' pridefu' fling, [leapt, start]
An' her ain fit it brunt it; [foot]
While Willie lap, an' swoor by jing, [by Jove]
'Twas just the way he wanted
To be that night.

Nell had the fause-house in her min', [mind]
She pits hersel an' Rob in;
In loving bleeze they sweetly join,
Till white in ase they're sobbin: [ashes]
Nell's heart was dancin' at the view:
She whisper'd Rob to leuk for't:
Rob, stownlins, prie'd her bonnie mou', [by