Tam O Bedlam

Tam O'Bedlam Doric Owersett of an anonymous lyric, discovered in a commonplace book of about 1620. Frae the hag an hungeret trowie, that tae torn cloots wid teir ye, The speerit that stauns bi the nyakit man in the Buik o Meens defend ye, That o yer five hale senses, ye niver be forsaken, Nur wannner frae yersels wi Tam ootbye tae prig yer bacon, Fylst I dae sing, ony food, ony feedin, feedin, drink, or claithin; Cam wife or quine, dinna be feart, puir Tam he will hurt naethin. O thirty bare years hae I twice twinty bin enragèd, An o forty bin three times fifteen in cell bin sounly cagèd On the lairdly lafts o Bedlam, wi stibble saft an deinty, Thole haun cuffs strang, swete whips ding dong wi halesome hunger plenty, Fylst I dae sing, ony food, ony feedin, feedin, drink, or claithin; Cam wife or quine, dinna be feart, puir Tam he will hurt naethin. Fin I short hae shaved ma grumphie's face, ma leather keggie teemin In an oaken howf I pound ma skin as a suit o gowden claddin; The meen's ma ongaun mistress, an the lane hoolet ma marra The fiery dragon an the nicht hoolet mak music tae ma sorra. Fylst I dae sing, ony food, ony feedin, feedin, drink, or claithin; Cam wife or quine, dinna be feart, puir Tam he will hurt naethin. The palsy plagues ma pulses fin I rype yer pork or chucken Yer doos I takk, or matchless makk yer rooster aa fur ettin Fin I wint maet wi Humphrey I sup, an fin I am benightit, I bide in Paul's wi wakin sowels yet niver am affrichtit. Fylst I dae sing, ony food, ony feedin, feedin, drink, or claithin; Cam wife or quine, dinna be feart, puir Tam he will hurt naethin. Wi a heeze o flegsome fancies o which I am commander, Wi a burnin spear an a shelt o air, tae the wilderness I wanner. Bi a knicht o ghaists an shaddas, I'm summonded tae a tourney Ten leagues ayont the wide warld's eyn I's warrant it's nae journey. Fylst I dae sing, ony food, ony feedin, feedin, drink, or claithin; Cam wife or quine, dinna be feart, puir Tam he will hurt naethin.