Willie Winkie

By William Miller

Wee Willie Winkie

Rins through the toun,

Up stairs and doun stairs

In his nicht-gown,

Tirling at the window,

Crying at the lock,

“Are the weans in their bed,

For it’s now ten o’clock?

“Hey, Willie Winkie,

Are ye coming ben?

The cat’s singing grey thrums

To the sleeping hen,

The dog’s spelder’d on the floor,

And disna gie a cheep,

But here’s a waukrife laddie

That winna fa’ asleep.”

Onything but sleep, you rogue!

Glow’ring like the moon,

Rattling in an airn jug

Wi’ an airn spoon,

Rumblin’, tumblin’, round about,

Crawing like a cock,

Skirlin’ like a kenna-what,

Wauk’nin’ sleeping folk.

“Hey, Willie Winkie –

The wean’s in a creel!

Wamblin’ aff a body’s knee

Like a very eel,

Ruggin’ at the cat’s lug,

Rav’llin’ a’ her thrums –

Hey, Willie Winkie –

See, there he comes!”

Wearied is the mither

That has a stoorie wean,

A wee stumpie stousie,

That canna rin his lane.

That has a battle aye wi’ sleep,

Before he’ll close an e’e –

But a kiss frae aff his rosy lips

Gies strength anew to me.

Source: The Dorling Kindersley Book of Nursery Rhymes (2000)