Can Ye Sew Cushions?
Lyrics
Scots Musical Museum, song 444
O can ye sew cushions and can ye sew sheets,And can ye sing balluloo when the bairn greets?And hee and baw birdie and hee and baw lamb,And hee and baw birdie my bonnie wee lamb.
Hee O wee O what wou'd I do wi' you?Black's the life that I lead wi' you.Monny O you, little for to gie you.Hee O wee O what would I do wi' you?
History and Meaning
This Scots lullaby begins by asking whether someone can sew bedding and soothe a crying child. The voice then turns towards the baby, using "birdie" and "lamb" as names of affection. The tender refrain sits beside a blunt admission that life is hard and there is little to give.
Scots words in the lullaby
| Scots | Plain English |
|---|---|
| bairn | child |
| greets | cries |
| balluloo | a lullaby sound |
| bonnie wee lamb | lovely little lamb |
| wi' | with |
| gie | give |
"Hee and baw" can be sung as soothing sounds. Keep the rocking rhythm rather than trying to translate each syllable.
Which version is this?
The words follow the main setting on page 456 of James Johnson's Scots Musical Museum, volume five, with punctuation added. The volume first appeared in 1796; the linked scan is from the 1853 edition. Robert Burns helped collect songs for the book. That does not establish him as the writer of this lullaby. Some later collections add other stanzas. For a second Scots lullaby, try Baloo Baleerie.
Related Nursery Rhymes
Lyrics from nurseryrhymes.info