Scott's Minstrelsy, in, 235, ed. 1803; ed. 1833, n, 353.
Made up from two copies obtained from recitation.
| 1 |
Erlinton had a fair daughter;
I wat he weird her in a great sin;
For he has built a bigly bower,
An a' to put that lady in. |
| 2 |
An he has warnd her sisters six,
An sae has he her brethren se'en,
Outher to watch her a' the night,
Or else to seek her morn an een. |
| 3 |
She hadna been i that bigly bower
Na not a night but barely ane,
Till there was Willie, her ain true love,
Chappd at the door, cryin 'Peace within!' |
| 4 |
'O whae is this at my bower door,
That chaps sae late, nor kens the gin?'
'O it is Willie, your ain true love,
I pray you rise an let me in!' |
| 5 |
'But in my bower there is a wake,
An at the wake there is a wane;
But I'll come to the green-wood the morn,
Whar blooms the brier, by mornin dawn.' |
| 6 |
Then she's gane to her bed again,
Where she has layen till the cock crew thrice,
Then she said to her sisters a',
'Maidens, 'tis time for us to rise.' |
| 7 |
She pat on her back her silken gown,
An on her breast a siller pin,
An she's tane a sister in ilka hand,
An to the green-wood she is gane. |
| 8 |
She hadna walkd in the green-wood
Na not a mile but barely ane,
Till there was Willie, her ain true love,
Whae frae her sister has her taen. |
| 9 |
He took her sisters by the hand,
He kissd them baith, an sent them hame,
An he's taen his true love him behind,
And through the green-wood they are gane. |
| 10 |
They hadna ridden in the bonnie green-wood
Na not a mile but barely ane,
When there came fifteen o the boldest knights
That ever bare flesh, blood, or bane. |
| 11 |
The foremost was an aged knight,
He wore the grey hair on his chin:
Says, 'Yield to me thy lady bright,
An thou shalt walk the woods within.' |
| 12 |
'For me to yield my lady bright
To such an aged knight as thee,
People wad think I war gane mad,
Or a' the courage flown frae me.' |
| 13 |
But up then spake the second knight,
I wat he spake right boustouslie:
'Yield me thy life, or thy lady bright,
Or here the tane of us shall die.' |
| 14 |
'My lady is my warld's meed;
My life I winna yield to nane;
But if ye be men of your manhead,
Ye'll only fight me ane by ane.' |
| 15 |
He lighted aff his milk-white steed,
An gae his lady him by the head,
Sayn, 'See ye dinna change your cheer,
Untill ye see my body bleed.' |
| 16 |
He set his back unto an aik,
He set his feet against a stane,
An he has fought these fifteen men,
An killd them a' but barely ane. |
| 17 |
. . . . .
. . . .
For he has left that aged knight,
An a' to carry the tidings hame. |
| 18 |
When he gaed to his lady fair,
I wat he kissd her tenderlie:
'Thou art mine ain love, I have thee bought;
Now we shall walk the green-wood free.' |
