The Little Old Man of the Barn
When all the big lads will be hunting the deer,
And no one for helping Old Callum comes near,
O who will be busy at threshing his corn?
Who will come in the night and be going at morn?
The Little Old Man of the Barn,
Yon Little Old Man—
A bodach forlorn will be threshing his corn,
The Little Old Man of the Barn.
When the peat will turn grey and the shadows fall deep,
And weary Old Callum is snoring asleep;
When yon plant by the door will keep fairies away,
And the horse-shoe sets witches a-wandering till day.
The Little Old Man of the Barn,
Yon Little Old Man—
Will thresh with no light in the mouth of the night,
The Little Old Man of the Barn.
For the bodach is strong though his hair is so grey,
He will never be weary when he goes away—
The bodach is wise—he’s so wise, he’s so dear—
When the lads are all gone, he will ever be near.
The Little Old Man of the Barn,
Yon Little Old Man—
So tight and so braw he will bundle the straw—
The Little Old Man of the Barn.