| 1 |
Willie has taen him oer the fame,
He's woo'd a wife and brought her hame. |
| 2 |
He's woo'd her for her yellow hair,
But his mother wrought her mickle care. |
| 3 |
And mickle dolour gard her dree,
For lighter she can never be. |
| 4 |
But in her bower she sits wi pain,
And Willie mourns oer her in vain. |
| 5 |
And to his mother he has gone,
That vile rank witch of vilest kind. |
| 6 |
He says: 'My ladie has a cup,
Wi gowd and silver set about. |
| 7 |
'This goodlie gift shall be your ain,
And let her be lighter o her young bairn.' |
| 8 |
'Of her young bairn she'll neer be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter. |
| 9 |
'But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another may.' |
| 10 |
'Another may I'll never wed,
Another may I'll neer bring home.' |
| 11 |
But sighing says that weary wight,
'I wish my life were at an end.' |
| 12 |
'Ye doe [ye] unto your mother again,
That vile rank witch of vilest kind. |
| 13 |
'And say your ladie has a steed,
The like o'm's no in the lands of Leed. |
| 14 |
'For he [i]s golden shod before,
And he [i]s golden shod behind. |
| 15 |
'And at ilka tet of that horse's main,
There's a golden chess and a bell ringing. |
| 16 |
'This goodlie gift shall be your ain,
And let me be lighter of my young bairn.' |
| 17 |
'O her young bairn she'll neer be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter. |
| 18 |
'But she shall die and turn to clay,
And ye shall wed another may.' |
| 19 |
'Another may I['ll] never wed,
Another may I['ll] neer bring hame.' |
| 20 |
But sighing said that weary wight,
'I wish my life were at an end.' |
| 21 |
'Ye doe [ye] unto your mother again,
That vile rank witch of vilest kind. |
| 22 |
'And say your ladie has a girdle,
It's red gowd unto the middle. |
| 23 |
'And ay at every silver hem,
Hangs fifty silver bells and ten. |
| 24 |
'That goodlie gift has be her ain,
And let me be lighter of my young bairn.' |
| 25 |
'O her young bairn she's neer be lighter,
Nor in her bower to shine the brighter. |
| 26 |
'But she shall die and turn to clay,
And you shall wed another may.' |
| 27 |
'Another may I'll never wed,
Another may I'll neer bring hame.' |
| 28 |
But sighing says that weary wight,
'I wish my life were at an end.' |
| 29 |
Then out and spake the Belly Blind;
He spake aye in good time. |
| 30 |
'Ye doe ye to the market place,
And there ye buy a loaf o wax. |
| 31 |
'Ye shape it bairn and bairnly like,
And in twa glassen een ye pit; |
| 32 |
'And bid her come to your boy's christening;
Then notice weel what she shall do. |
| 33 |
'And do you stand a little fore bye,
And listen weel what she shall say.' |
| 34 |
'Oh wha has loosed the nine witch knots
That was amo that ladie's locks? |
| 35 |
'And wha has taen out the kaims of care
That hangs amo that ladie's hair? |
| 36 |
'And wha's taen down the bush o woodbine
That hang atween her bower and mine? |
| 37 |
'And wha has killd the master kid
That ran beneath that ladie's bed? |
| 38 |
'And wha has loosed her left-foot shee,
And lotten that ladie lighter be?' |
| 39 |
O Willie has loosed the nine witch knots
That was amo that ladie's locks. |
| 40 |
And Willie's taen out the kaims o care
That hang amo that ladie's hair. |
| 41 |
And Willie's taen down the bush o woodbine
That hang atween her bower and thine. |
| 42 |
And Willie has killed the master kid
That ran beneath that ladie's bed. |
| 43 |
And Willie has loosed her left-foot shee,
And letten his ladie lighter be. |
| 44 |
And now he's gotten a bonny young son,
And mickle grace be him upon. |
