'Thomas the Rhymer,' Scotch Ballads,
Materials for Border Minstrelsy, No. 97, Abbotsford;
communicated to Sir Walter Scott
by Mrs Christiana Greenwood, London, May
27, 1806 (Letters, 1, 189), from the recitation
of her mother and of her aunt, both then above
sixty, who learned it in their childhood from
Kirstan Scot, a very old woman, at Longnewton,
near Jedburgh.
| 1 |
Thomas lay on the Huntlie bank,
A spying ferlies wi his eee,
And he did spy a lady gay,
Come riding down by the lang lee. |
| 2 |
Her steed was o the dapple grey,
And at its mane there hung bells nine;
He thought he heard that lady say,
'They gowden bells sail a' be thine.' |
| 3 |
Her mantle was o velvet green,
And a' set round wi jewels fine;
Her hawk and hounds were at her side,
And her bugle-horn wi gowd did shine. |
| 4 |
Thomas took aff baith cloak and cap,
For to salute this gay lady:
'O save ye, save ye, fair Queen o Heavn,
And ay weel met ye save and see!' |
| 5 |
'I'm no the Queen o Heavn, Thomas;
I never carried my head sae bee;
For I am but a lady gay,
Come out to hunt in my follee. |
| 6 |
'Now gin ye kiss my mouth, Thomas,
Ye mauna miss my fair bodee;
Then ye may een gang hame and tell
That ye 've lain wi a gay ladee.' |
| 7 |
'O gin I loe a lady fair,
Nae ill tales o her wad I tell,
And it 's wi thee I fain wad gae,
Tho it were een to heavn or hell.' |
| 8 |
'Then harp and carp, Thomas,' she said,
'Then harp and carp alang wi me;
But it will be seven years and a day
Till ye win back to yere ain countrie.' |
| 9 |
The lady rade, True Thomas ran,
Untill they cam to a water wan;
O it was night, and nae delight,
And Thomas wade aboon the knee. |
| 10 |
It was dark night, and nae starn-light,
And on they waded lang days three,
And they heard the roaring o a flood,
And Thomas a waefou man was he. |
| 11 |
Then they rade on, and farther on,
Untill they came to a garden green;
To pu an apple he put up his hand,
For the lack o food he was like to tyne. |
| 12 |
'O haud yere hand, Thomas,' she cried,
'And let that green flourishing be;
For it 's the very fruit o hell,
Beguiles baith man and woman o yere countrie. |
| 13 |
'But look afore ye, True Thomas,
And I shall show ye ferlies three;
Yon is the gate leads to our land,
Where thou and I sae soon shall be. |
| 14 |
'And dinna ye see yon road, Thomas,
That lies out-owr yon lilly lee?
Weel is the man yon gate may gang,
For it leads him straight to the heavens hie. |
| 15 |
'But do you see yon road, Thomas,
That lies out-owr yon frosty fell?
Ill is the man yon gate may gang,
For it leads him straight to the pit o hell. |
| 16 |
'Now when ye come to our court, Thomas,
See that a weel-learnd man ye be;
For they will ask ye, one and all,
But ye maun answer nane but me. |
| 17 |
'And when nae answer they obtain,
Then will they come and question me,
And I will answer them again
That I gat yere aith at the Eildon tree. |
| |
* * * |
| 18 |
'Ilka seven years, Thomas,
We pay our teindings unto hell,
And ye 're sae leesome and sae Strang
That I fear, Thomas, it will be yeresell.' |
