Cromek's Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song,
p. 207. "From the recital of a peasant-woman of Galloway,
upwards of ninety years of age."
| 1 |
We were sisters, we were seven,
We were the fairest under heaven. |
| 2 |
And it was a' our seven years wark
To sew our father's seven sarks. |
| 3 |
And whan our seven years wark was done,
We laid it out upo the green. |
| 4 |
We coost the lotties us amang,
Wha wad to the greenwood gang. |
| 5 |
To pu the lily but and the rose,
To strew witha' our sisters' bowers. |
| 6 |
. . . . . I was youngest,
. . . . . my weer was hardest. |
| 7 |
And to the greenwood I bud gae,
. . . . . |
| 8 |
There I met a handsome childe,
. . . . . |
| 9 |
High-coled stockings and laigh-coled shoon,
He bore him like a king's son. |
| 10 |
An was I weel, or was I wae,
He keepit me a' the simmer day. |
| 11 |
An though I for my hame-gaun sich[t],
He keepit me a' the simmer night. |
| 12 |
He gae to me a gay gold ring,
And bade me keep it aboon a' thing. |
| 13 |
He gae to me a cuttie knife,
And bade me keep it as my life: |
| 14 |
Three lauchters o his yellow hair,
For fear we wad neer meet mair.
* * * * * |
| 15 |
Next there came shippes three,
To carry a' my bridal fee. |
| 16 |
Gowd were the beaks, the sails were silk,
Wrought wi maids' hands like milk. |
| 17 |
They came toom and light to me,
But heavie went they waie frae me. |
| 18 |
y were fu o baken bread,
They were fu of wine sae red. |
| 19 |
My dowry went a' by the sea,
But I gaed by the grenewode tree. |
| 20 |
An I sighed and made great mane,
As thro the grenewode we rade our lane. |
| 21 |
An I ay siched an wiped my ee,
That eer the grenewode I did see. |
| 22 |
'Is there water in your glove,
Or win into your shoe?
O[r] am I oer low a foot-page
To rin by you, ladie?' |
| 23 |
'O there's nae water in my glove,
Nor win into my shoe;
But I am maning for my mither
Wha's far awa frae me.'
* * * * * |
| 24 |
'Gin ye be a maiden fair,
Meikle gude ye will get there. |
| 25 |
'If ye be a maiden but,
Meikle sorrow will ye get. |
| 26 |
'For seven king's daughters he hath wedded,
But never wi ane o them has bedded. |
| 27 |
'He cuts the breasts frae their breast-bane,
An sends them back unto their dame. |
| 28 |
'He sets their backs unto the saddle,
An sends them back unto their father. |
| 29 |
'But be ye maiden or be ye nane,
To the gowden chair ye draw right soon. |
| 30 |
'But be ye leman or be ye maiden,
Sit nae down till ye be bidden.' |
| 31 |
Was she maiden or was she nane,
To the gowden chair she drew right soon. |
| 32 |
she leman or was she maiden,
She sat down ere she was bidden. |
| 33 |
Out then spake the lord's mother;
Says, 'This is not a maiden fair. |
| 34 |
'In that chair nae leal maiden
Eer sits down till they be bidden.' |
| 35 |
The Billie Blin then outspake he,
As he stood by the fair ladie. |
| 36 |
'The bonnie may is tired wi riding,
Gaurd her sit down ere she was bidden.'
* * * * * |
| 37 |
But on her waiting-maid she ca'd:
'Fair ladie, what's your will wi me?'
'O ye maun gie yere maidenheid
This night to an unco lord for me.' |
| 38 |
'I hae been east, I hae been west,
I hae been far beyond the sea,
But ay, by grenewode or by bower,
I hae keepit my virginitie. |
| 39 |
'But will it for my ladie plead,
I'll gie't this night to an unco lord.'
* * * * * |
| 40 |
When bells were rung an vespers sung,
An men in sleep were locked soun, |
| 41 |
Childe Branton and the waiting-maid
Into the bridal bed were laid. |
| 42 |
'O lie thee down, my fair ladie,
Here are a' things meet for thee; |
| 43 |
'Here's a bolster for yere head,
Here is sheets an comelie weids.'
* * * * * |
| 44 |
'Now tell to me, ye Billie Blin,
If this fair dame be a leal maiden.' |
| 45 |
'I wat she is as leal a wight
As the moon shines on in a simmer night. |
| 46 |
'I wat she is as leal a may
As the sun shines on in a simmer day. |
| 47 |
'But your bonnie bride's in her bower,
Dreeing the mither's trying hour.' |
| 48 |
Then out o his bridal bed he sprang,
An into his mither's bower he ran. |
| 49 |
'O mither kind, O mither dear,
This is nae a maiden fair. |
| 50 |
'The maiden I took to my bride
Has a bairn atween her sides. |
| 51 |
'The maiden I took to my bower
Is dreeing the mither's trying hour.' |
| 52 |
Then to the chamber his mother flew,
And to the wa the door she threw. |
| 53 |
She stapt at neither bolt nor ban,
Till to that ladie's bed she wan. |
| 54 |
Says, 'Ladie fair, sae meek an mild,
Wha is the father o yere child?' |
| 55 |
'O mither dear,' said that ladie,
'I canna tell gif I sud die. |
| 56 |
'We were sisters, we were seven,
We were the fairest under heaven. |
| 57 |
'And it was a' our seven years wark
To sew our father's seven sarks. |
| 58 |
'And whan our seven years wark was done,
We laid it out upon the green. |
| 59 |
'We coost the lotties us amang,
Wha wad to the greenwode gang; |
| 60 |
'To pu the lily but an the rose,
To strew witha' our sisters' bowers. |
| 61 |
. . . . . 'I was youngest,
. . . . . my weer was hardest. |
| 62 |
'And to the greenwode I bu[d] gae.
. . . . |
| 63 |
'There I met a handsome childe,
. . . . |
| 64 |
'Wi laigh-coled stockings and high-coled shoon,
He seemed to be some king's son. |
| 65 |
'And was I weel or was I wae,
He keepit me a' the simmer day. |
| 66 |
'Though for my hame-gaun I oft sicht,
He keepit me a' the simmer night. |
| 67 |
'He gae to me a gay gold ring,
An bade me keep it aboon a' thing; |
| 68 |
'Three lauchters o he yellow hair,
For fear that we suld neer meet mair. |
| 69 |
'O mither, if ye'll believe nae me,
Break up the coffer, an there ye'll see.' |
| 70 |
An ay she coost, an ay she flang,
Till her ain gowd ring came in her hand. |
| 71 |
And scarce aught i the coffer she left,
Till she gat the knife wi the siller heft, |
| 72 |
Three lauchters o his yellow hair,
Knotted wi ribbons dink and rare. |
| 73 |
She cried to her son, 'Where is the ring
Your father gave me at our wooing,
An I gae you at your hunting? |
| 74 |
'What did ye wi the cuttie knife,
I bade ye keep it as yere life?' |
| 75 |
'O haud yere tongue, my mither dear;
I gae them to a lady fair. |
| 76 |
'I wad gie a' my lands and rents,
I had that ladie within my brents. |
| 77 |
'I wad gie a' my lands an towers,
I had that ladie within my bowers.' |
| 78 |
'Keep still yere lands, keep still yere rents;
Ye hae that ladie within yere brents. |
| 79 |
'Keep still yere lands, keep still yere towers;
Ye hae that lady within your bowers.' |
| 80 |
Then to his ladie fast ran he,
An low he kneeled on his knee. |
| 81 |
'O tauk ye up my son,' said he,
'An, mither, tent my fair ladie. |
| 82 |
'O wash him purely i the milk,
And lay him saftly in the silk. |
| 83 |
'An ye maun bed her very soft,
For I maun kiss her wondrous oft.' |
| 84 |
It was weel written on his breast-bane
Childe Branton was the father's name. |
| 85 |
It was weel written on his right hand
He was the heir o his daddie's land. |
