Courtesy of David Birnie

(Origin unknown)

What's in there?

  Gold and Money.

Where's my share of it?

  The  mouse ran away with it

Where's the mouse?

  In Her House.

Where's the house?

  In the wood.

Where's the wood?

  The fire burnt it.

Where's the fire?

  The water quenched it.

Where's the water?

  The brown bull drank it.

Where's the brown bull?

  At the back of Birnie's hill

Where's Birnie's Hill?

  All clad in snow.

Where's the snow?

  The sun melted it.

Where's the sun?

  High, high up in the air.

The end.

1.  Gin (if) Ye’ll mairry me, lassie, at the kirk (church) o’ Birnie Bouzle,

       Till the day ye die, Lassie, Ye shall ne’er repent it

       Ye will wear when ye are wed, a kirtle (dress) and a highland plaid

       Sleep upon a heather bed,  sae couthie (snug) an sae canty (contented).

2.  Ye will gan sae braw (braw), lassie, tae the kirk o’ Birnie

         Little brougues an’a, lassie, vow! But ye’ll be canty

        Your wee bit tocher (dowery) is but sma’,

                            but hodden (homespun) grey will wear for a’

         I’ll save my siller (money) tae mak’ ye braw, -ye will ne’er repent it.

3.  Gin Ye’ll mairry me, lassie, at the kirk o’ Birnie Bouzle,

        Till the day ye die, Lassie, Ye shall ne’er repent it.

        We’ll hae bonnie bairns an’a, some lassies fair and laddies braw

        Like the their mother ane and a’,  an’ yer faither conserted.

4.  Gin Ye’ll mairry me, lassie, at the kirk o’ Birnie Bouzle,

         Till the day ye die, Lassie, Ye shall ne’er repent it.

         The hart, the hare, the heather cock (ring grouse),

           I’ll pu ye limpets frae the rock Tae mak’ ye dishes

Traditional: After Hay

An instrumental guitar version of the Boozle is available in Canada by Brad Prevedoros on an album called CELTIC MOODS (Nominated for 2003 "Best Instrumental Album" Western Canadian Music Awards.

An traditional vocal rendition is available from Scotland's Jean Redpath on her Song of the Seals album (Philco).