Oh, as I was a-linking o'er the lea The finest weel that ever I did see Looking for his charity "Would you lodge a lame poor man?" For the night being wet and it being cold She took pity on the poor old soul She took pity on the poor old soul And she bade him to sit down With a tooran nooran nan tan nee Right ton nooran fol a doo-a-dee Tooran nooran nooran nee And a tooran nooran-i-do He sat him down in the chimbley nook The bonnie young daughter gave him a look He's thrown his bags behind a crook And merrily he did sing Oh, he grew canty and she was fain But little did the old mother ken Just what the two of them were saying As they sat sae thrag With a tooran nooran nan tan nee Fol a doo-a-dee As they sat sae thrag "Oh, if I was as black as I am white Just like the snow on yon fell-dyke I'd dress myself so beggar-like And away with you I'd gang" "Oh, lassie, lassie, you're far too young And you haven't got the lilt of the begging tongue You haven't got the lilt of the begging tongue So with me you cannot gang" With a tooran nooran nan tan nee Fol a doo-a-dee Tooran nooran nooran nee With me you cannot gang" "I'll burden my back and I'll bend my knee Put a black patch on my e'e And for a beggar they'll take me And away with you I'll gang" With a tooran nooran nan tan nee With a tooran nooran nooran nee And away with you I'll gang" For all that the doors were locked quite tight The old woman rose in the middle of the night The old woman rose in the middle of the night But to find the old man gone Oh, she's run to the cupboard, likewise to the chest All things there and nothing missed Clapping her hands, "And the dear be blessed Wasn't he an honest old man?" With a tooran nooran nan tan nee Fol a doo-a-dee Wasn't he an honest old man?" Oh, the breakfast was ready and the table laid The old woman went for to waken the maid The bed was there but the maid was gone Away with the lame poor man And a tooran nooran nan tan nee Fol a doo-a-dee Tooran nooran nooran nee Away with the lame poor man Now seven years were passed and gone This old beggar come back again Looking for his charity "Would you lodge a lame poor man?" "Oh, I never lodged any but the one And with him my one daughter did gang And I choose you to be the very one And I'll have you to be gone" With a tooran nooran nan tan nee Tooran nooran nooran nee I'll have you to be gone "If your one daughter you want to see She has two bairnies on her knee She has two bairnies on her knee And a third one coming round "Yonder she sits, yonder she stands The fairest lady in all Scotland She has servants at her command Since she went with the lame poor man" And a tooran nooran nan tan nee Fol a doo-a-dee Nan tan nee Since she went with the lame poor man" And a tooran nooran nan tan nee Right ton nooran fol a doo-a-dee Tooran nooran nooran nee Tooran nooran-i-do