Ed de Moel

Child Ballads - Appendix

94. Young Waters - Appendix

Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 15.

It fell about the gude Yule time,
When caps and stoups gaed roun,
Down it came him Young Waters,
To welcome James, our king.
The great, the great, rade a' together,
The sma came a' behin,
But wi Young Waters, that brave knight,
There came a gay gatherin.
The horse Young Waters rade upon,
It cost him hunders nine;
For he was siller-shod before,
And gowd-graith had behin.
At ilka tippit o his horse mane
There hang a siller bell;
The wind was loud, the steed was proud,
And they gae a sindry knell.
The king he lay ower 's castle- wa,
Beheld baith dale and down,
And he beheld him Young Waters,
Come riding to the town.
He turnd him right and round about,
And to the queen said he,
Who is the bravest man, my dame,
That ever your een did see?
'I've seen lairds, and I've seen lords,
And knights o high degree,
But a braver man than Young Waters
My een did never see.'
He turnd him right and roun about,
And ane angry man was he:
'O wae to you, my dame, the queen,
Ye might hae excepted me!'
'Ye are nae laird, ye are nae lord,
Ye are the king that wears the crown;
There 's nae a lord in fair Scotland
But unto you maun a' bow dowu.'
10  'O lady, for your love-choicing,
Ye shall win to your will;
The morn, or I eat or drink,
Young Waters I'll gar kill.'
11  'And nevertheless,' the king coud say,
'Ye might hae excepted me;
Yea for yea,' the king coud say,
'Young Waters he shall die.
12  'Likewise for your ill-wyled words,
Ye sail hae cause to mourn;
Gin ye hadna been sae big wi child,
Ye on a hill sud burn."
13  Young Waters came before the king,
Fell low down on his knee:
'Win up, win up, Young Waters,
What 's this 1 hear o thee?'
14  'What ails the king at me," he said,
'What ails the king at me?'
'It is tauld me the day, sir knight,
Ye've done me treasonie.'
15  'Liars will lie on fell gude men,
Sae will they do on me;
I wudna wish to be the man
That liars on wudna lie.'
16  'Nevertheless,' the king coud say,
'In prison strang gang ye;
O yea for yea," the king coud say,
'Young Waters, ye shall die.'
17  Syne they hae taen him Young Waters,
Laid him in prison strang,
And left him there wi fetters boun,
Making a heavy mane.
18  'Aft hae I ridden thro Striveling town
Thro heavy wind and weet;
But neer rade I thro Striveling town
Wi fetters on my feet.
19  'Aft hae I ridden thro Striveling town
Thro heavy wind and rain;
But neer rade I thro Striveling town
But thought to ridden 't again.'
20  They brought him to the heading-hill,
His horse bot and his saddle;
And they brought to the heading-hill
His young son in his cradle.
21  And they brought to the heading-hill
His hounds intill a leish;
And they brought till the heading-hill
His gos-hawk in a jess.
22  King James he then rade up the hill,
And mony a man him wi,
And called on his trusty page
To come right speedilie.
23  'Ye'll do ye to the Earl o Mar,
For he sits on yon hill;
Bid him to loose the brand frae his bodie,
Young Waters for to kill.'
24  'O gude forbid,' the Earl he said,
'The like sud eer fa me,
My bodie eer sud wear the brand
That gars Young Waters die.'
25  Then he has loosd his trusty brand
And casten 't in the sea;
Says, Never lat them get a brand
Till it come back to me.
26  The scaffold it prepared was,
And he did mount it hie,
And a* spectators that were there,
The saut tears blint their ee.
27  'O had your tongues, my brethren dear,
And mourn nae mair for me;
Ye "re seeking grace frae a graceless face,
For there is nane to gie.
28  'Ye'll tak a bit o canvas claith
And pit it ower my ee;
And Jack, my man, ye'll be at hand
The hour that I sud die.
29  'Syne aff ye'll tak my bluidy sark,
Gie it fair Margaret Grahame;
For she may curse the dowie dell
That brought King James him hame.
30  'Ye'll bid her mak her bed narrow,
And mak it naeways wide;
For a brawer man than Young Waters
Will neer streek by her side.
31  'Bid her do weel to my young son,
And gie him nurses three;
For gin he live to be a man,
King James will gar him die.'
32  He calld upon the headsman, then,
A purse o gowd him gae;
Says, Do your office, headsman, boy,
And mak nae mair delay.
33  O head me soon, O head me clean,
And pit me out o pine;
For it is by the king's command;
Gang head me till his min.
34  Tho by him I 'm condemnd to die,
I 'm lieve to his ain kin;
And for the truth, I'll plainly tell,
I am his sister's son.
35  'Gin ye 're my sister's son,' he said,
'It is unkent to me;'
'O mindna ye on your sister Bess,
That lives in the French countrie?'
36  'Gin Bess then be your mither dear,
As I trust well she be,
Gae hame, gae hame, Young Waters,
Ye 'se neer be slain by me.'
37  But he lay by his napkin fine,
Was saft as ony silk,
And on the block he laid his neck,
Was whiter than the milk.
38  Says, Strike the blow, ye headsman, boy,
And that right speedilie;
It 's never be said, Here gaes a knight
Was ance condemnd to die.
39  The head was taen frae Young Waters,
And mony tears for him shed;
But mair did mourn for fair Margaret,
As raving she lyes mad.

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