Copshawholme Fair

a Friday it fell in the month of April

On a hill came the sun with a blythe sunny smile

And the folks were a thronging the roads everywhere

Making haste to be in at Copshawholme Fair

I've seen them coming in over mountain and glen

Both rosy faced lasses and strapping young men

With a joy in their hearts and unburdened of care

They'll be meeting old friends at Copshawholme Fair

There's lads for the lasses, there's toys for the bairns

There are fiddlers and tumblers and folks with no arms

There's a balancer here and a fiddler there

And a nut man and spice man at Copshawhome Fair

Oh but now about the hiring if you want to hear tell

You should ken it as far as I've seen it mysel'

What wages they adle it's ill to declare

The muckle they vary at Copshawholme Fair

Justielle I have seen, she's a strapping young queen

And he asked what her age was and where she had been

What work she'd been doing - how long she'd been there

What wages she wanted at Copshawholme Fair

Just then the big lass stood a wee while in gloom

Then she turned and she scraped with her feet on the ground

Then she plucked up her heart and did stoutly declare

I'll have five pound and ten at Copshawholme Fair

He says but my lass that's a very big wage

Then he turned him about like he'd been in a rage

Said I'll give you five pound but I'll give you nae mair

But I think you will take it at Copshawholme Fair

He put his hand in his pocket, took a hold of bit wench

In case it might enter her hand for to flinch

But she grabbed at it muttering I should have had mair

But I think I shall take it at Copshawholme Fair

Now the hiring is over and off they all gang

In to the ballroom for to join in the thrang

And I never shall lie with my mammy nae mair

For the fiddlers play briskly at Copshawholne Fair