Ye Hae Lien Wrang, Lassie
Ye Hae Lien Wrang, Lassie - meaning Summary
Accusation with Playful Tone
The speaker addresses a young woman, accusing her—half teasing, half reproachful—of improper sexual behavior and its visible consequences. Using Scots dialect, the poem lists physical signs (pale cheeks, shorter coat) and social evidence (missing money, trampled fields) to suggest she has lain with "some unco man." The tone mixes gossip, moral judgment, and concern: the speaker chastises but also narrates the aftermath—shame, loss, and possible injury—implying social fallout in a small community.
Read Complete AnalysesYour rosy cheeks are turn'd sae wan Ye're greener than the grass, lassie, Your coatie's shorter by a span, Yet deil an inch the less, lassie. Ye hae lien wrang, lassie, Ye've lien a' wrang, Ye've lien in some unco bed, And wi' some unco man. Ye've loot the pounie o'er the dyke, And he's been in the corn, lassie; For ay the brose ye sup at e'en, Ye bock them or the morn, lassie. Fu' lightly lap ye o'er the knowe, And thro' the wood ye sang, lassie; But herryin' o' the foggie byke, I fear y've got a stang, lassie.
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