Gin a body catch a body

     While reading The Catcher in the Rye, I was curious about the source of Holden's desire to be a "catcher in the rye."  He and Phoebe have slightly different explanations for the source; he says it is a children's song, she says it is a Burns poem, both of which are correct.  The phrase "if a body meet a body coming through the rye" (which Holden misremembers as "catch") comes from the Robert Burns poem "Comin' thro' the rye."  However, there is a children's folk song of a similar nature and same title which predates Burns.  Several versions of the text of the poem (and the song) exist.  Here is the the poem as listed on its Wikipedia page (highlighting added for emphasis): 

O, Jenny's a' weet,^[A] poor body,
Jenny's seldom dry:
She draigl't^[B] a' her petticoatie,
Comin thro' the rye!

Chorus:
Comin thro' the rye, poor body,
Comin thro' the rye,
She draigl't a' her petticoatie,
Comin thro' the rye!

Gin^[C] a body meet a body
Comin thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?^[D]

(chorus)

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the glen
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warl'^[E] ken?^[F]

(chorus)

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the grain;
Gin a body kiss a body,
The thing's a body's ain.^[G]

(chorus)

Ilka lassie has her laddie,
Nane, they say, ha’e I
Yet all the lads they smile on me,
When comin' thro' the rye.

^A weet – wet
^B draigl't – draggled
^C gin – if, should
^D cry – call out [for help]
^E warl – world
^F ken – know
^G ain – own

     

     Though many versions of this poem exist (and ones from more reputable sources), I decided to include this version because it seems to contain the most of the motifs of the different versions, as well as the notes on the Scottish words ("ilka" means "every").  If you would prefer to read a translated version, you can access that here: http://www.thehypertexts.com/Robert%20Burns%20Translations%20Modern%20English.htm . In addition, here is a link to a recording of the song, sung by Marian Anderson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfNuSPSEmlo .  The notion presented by the announcer that the "rye" referred to is a river is erroneous.  

    Where this gets interesting is when one compares it to Salinger.  The poem and song deal with a romantic encounter while "comin thro' the rye."  This theme is repeated in several other places, through the glen, and through the grain.  The narrator bemoans that he or she does not have a "lassie" or "laddie," but the rest of the people still are kind to the narrator.  That the narrator is alone in their lack of a companion is a weak parallel to the separation and disillusionment Holden feels toward general society, and is a parallel to his solitude.  It is likely not possible to know whether or not Salinger intended this.  It is also important to note that, of the many versions of the song, some emphasize the romantic aspect of it, to the point of adding implicitly sexual elements.  This is an interesting comparison to Holden's glorification of childlike simplicity.  Whatever, if anything, Salinger was trying to allude to with his selection of this poem/song, we will probably never know.  However, I think it is very significant that it is traditionally a children's song, considering the importance of childhood in the novel.  As to Holden's view of the poem, that it is so bizarre and based on a misquote makes me suspect that Salinger himself had a similar reading of it from his younger years.