Behave Yourself Before Folk

Dublin Core

Title

Behave Yourself Before Folk

Description

AIR - "Good morrow to your night-cap."


Behave yoursel' before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

And dinna be sae rude to me,

As kiss me sae before folk.


It wadna gi'e me meikle pain, 

Gin we were scen and heard by name,
To tak' a kiss, or grant you ane,

But, gudesake! no before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Whate'er you do, when out o' view,

Be cautious ay before folk.



Consider, lad, how folk will crack,
And what a great affair they'll mak'
O' naething but a simple smack,

That's gain or taen before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Nor gi'e the tongue o' auld and young

Occasion to come o'er folk.



It's no through hatred o'n kiss, T
hat I sae plainly tell you this;
But losh! I tak' it sair amiss,

To be sae teaz'd before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

When we'er alane ye may tak' ane,

But fient a ane before folk.



I'm sure wi' you I've been as free
As any modest lass should be;
But yet, it doesna do to see

Sic freedom used before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

I'll ne're submit again to it -

So mind you that - before folk.



Ye tell me that my face is fair;
It may be sae - I dina care -
But ne'er again gar't blush sae sair

As ye hae done before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Nor heate my cheeks wi' your mad freaks,

But ay be douce before folk.



Ye tell me that my lips are sweet;
Sic tales, I doubt, are a' deceit;
At ony rate, it's hardly meet

To prie their sweets before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Gin, that's the case there's time and place,

But surely not before folk.



But gin ya really do insist
That I should suffer to be kiss'd,
Gae, get a license frae the priest,

And mak' me yours before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

Behave yoursel' before folk,

And when we'er ane, baith flesh and bane,

Ye may tak' ten - before folk.

Creator

Unattributed

Source

1:14, p. 56

Date

1827.06.15

Collection

Citation

Unattributed, “Behave Yourself Before Folk,” Periodical Poets, accessed September 19, 2024, https://periodicalpoets.com/items/show/48.

Comments

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