Blow Winds Blow- Bell Robertson (Aber) c. 1855 Greig
[From Greig, Folksong of the North-East, Text A. (No. 100), also Greig-Duncan. Kloss reports: She had heard the song "for the first and only time at a meal and ale when I was about fourteen" [i. e. 1855] from a "young blacksmith" (Greig-Duncan II, No. 329 C, p. 484; notes, p.580, first printed - without the last verse - in the Buchan Observer, 1909, see Greig, Folk-Song of the North-East, No.100)
R. Mateson 2018]
Blow Winds Blow- sung by Bell Robertson of New Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire c. 1906, learned from a young blacksmith about 1855.
1. There stands three trumpeters on yon hill
Blow, blow, blow winds blow
Blows their trumpet both loud and shrill
And the wind blows aye my plaid awa'.
2. Gin I'd my trumpet in my kist[chest],
And were in the lad's arms that I like best.
3. Fad wad ye do in a young man's arms?
And you yersel' in such younf charms?
4. My sister Jane's younger than I,
She was wedded yesterday,
5. Gim ye wad he wed wi' me,
There's one thing ye maun to me dee.
6. I maun hae a fine linen sark,
Without a stitch of needle wark,
7. Ye maun wash't in yon draw-well
where water never sprang nor fell.
8. Ye masun dry it on yon hawthorn,
That hasna been in blossom since man was born,
9. Gin I mak' a sark to thee,
There's something ye do for me.
10. My father has an acre o' lan',
And ye maun plow it wi' yer han'.
Ye maun sow it wantin' corn
and roll it all wi' a sheep's shank[shin] bone,
12. Ye maun shear 't wi' a scythe o' leather
And bind it all wi' a peacock's feather,
13. Ye stack it in the sea
And bring teh wheat sheaf dry to me,
14 Ye maun winnow on your loof [palm],
And stack it all in yer right-hand glove,
15 An gin ye work noo a' this wark
Come to me and ye'se get your sark,
16 Since ye've anwered questions so fine,
Come what will and ye shall be mine.