| 1 |
My boy was scarcely ten years auld,
Whan he went to an unco land,
Where wind never blew, nor cocks ever crew,
Ohon for my son, Leesome Brand! |
| 2 |
Awa to that king's court he went,
It was to serve for meat an fee;
Gude red gowd it was his hire,
And lang in that king's court stayd he. |
| 3 |
He hadna been in that unco land
But only twallmonths twa or three,
Till by the glancing o his ee,
He gaind the love o a gay ladye. |
| 4 |
This ladye was scarce eleven years auld,
When on her love she was right bauld;
She was scarce up to my right knee,
When oft in bed wi men I'm tauld. |
| 5 |
But when nine months were come and gane,
This ladye's face turnd pale and wane. |
| 6 |
To Leesome Brand she then did say,
'In this place I can nae mair stay. |
| 7 |
'Ye do you to my father's stable,
Where steeds do stand baith wight and able. |
| 8 |
'Strike ane o them upo the back,
The swiftest will gie his head a wap. |
| 9 |
'Ye take him out upo the green,
And get him saddled and bridled seen. |
| 10 |
'Get ane for you, anither for me,
And lat us ride out ower the lee. |
| 11 |
'Ye do you to my mother's coffer,
And out of it ye'll take my tocher. |
| 12 |
'Therein are sixty thousand pounds,
Which all to me by right belongs.' |
| 13 |
He's done him to her father's stable,
Where steeds stood baith wicht and able. |
| 14 |
Then he strake ane upon the back,
The swiftest gae his head a wap. |
| 15 |
He's taen him out upo the green,
And got him saddled and bridled seen. |
| 16 |
Ane for him, and another for her,
To carry them baith wi might and virr. |
| 17 |
He's done him to her mother's coffer,
And there he's taen his love's tocher; |
| 18 |
Wherein were sixty thousand pound,
Which all to her by right belongd. |
| 19 |
When they had ridden about six mile,
His true love then began to fail. |
| 20 |
'O wae's me,' said that gay ladye,
'I fear my back will gang in three! |
| 21 |
'O gin I had but a gude midwife,
Here this day to save my life, |
| 22 |
'And ease me o my misery,
O dear, how happy I would be!' |
| 23 |
'My love, we're far frae ony town,
There is nae midwife to be foun. |
| 24 |
'But if ye'll be content wi me,
I'll do for you what man can dee.' |
| 25 |
'For no, for no, this maunna be,'
Wi a sigh, replied this gay ladye. |
| 26 |
'When I endure my grief and pain,
My companie ye maun refrain. |
| 27 |
'Ye'll take your arrow and your bow,
And ye will hunt the deer and roe. |
| 28 |
'Be sure ye touch not the white hynde,
For she is o the woman kind.' |
| 29 |
He took sic pleasure in deer and roe,
Till he forgot his gay ladye. |
| 30 |
Till by it came that milk-white hynde,
And then he mind on his ladye syne. |
| 31 |
He hasted him to yon greenwood tree,
For to relieve his gay ladye; |
| 32 |
But found his ladye lying dead,
Likeways her young son at her head. |
| 33 |
His mother lay ower her castle wa,
And she beheld baith dale and down;
And she beheld young Leesome Brand,
As he came riding to the town. |
| 34 |
'Get minstrels for to play,' she said,
'And dancers to dance in my room;
For here comes my son, Leesome Brand,
And he comes merrilie to the town.' |
| 35 |
'Seek nae minstrels to play, mother,
Nor dancers to dance in your room;
But tho your son comes, Leesome Brand,
Yet he comes sorry to the town. |
| 36 |
'O I hae lost my gowden knife;
I rather had lost my ain sweet life! |
| 37 |
'And I hae lost a better thing,
The gilded sheath that it was in.' |
| 38 |
'Are there nae gowdsmiths here in Fife,
Can make to you anither knife? |
| 39 |
'Are there nae sheath-makers in the land,
Can make a sheath to Leesome Brand?' |
| 40 |
'There are nae gowdsmiths here in Fife,
Can make me sic a gowden knife; |
| 41 |
'Nor nae sheath-makers in the land,
Can make to me a sheath again. |
| 42 |
'There ne'er was man in Scotland born,
Ordaind to be so much forlorn. |
| 43 |
'I've lost my ladye I lovd sae dear,
Likeways the son she did me bear.' |
| 44 |
'Put in your hand at my bed head,
There ye'll find a gude grey horn;
In it three draps o' Saint Paul's ain blude,
That hae been there sin he was born. |
| 45 |
'Drap twa o them o your ladye,
And ane upo your little young son;
Then as lively they will be
As the first night ye brought them hame.' |
| 46 |
He put his hand at her bed head,
And there he found a gude grey horn,
Wi three draps o' Saint Paul's ain blude,
That had been there sin he was born. |
| 47 |
Then he drappd twa on his ladye,
And ane o them on his young son,
And now they do as lively be,
As the first day he brought them hame. |
