Buchan's Manuscripts, I, 8;
Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 595.
| 1 |
Take warning, a' ye ladies fair,
That wear gowd on your hair,
Come never unto Charter's woods,
For Tam-a-line he's there. |
| 2 |
Even about that knight's middle
O' siller bells are nine;
Nae ane comes to Charter wood,
And a maid returns again. |
| 3 |
Lady Margaret sits in her bower door,
Sewing at her silken seam;
And she langd to gang to Charter woods,
To pou the roses green. |
| 4 |
She hadna poud a rose, a rose,
Nor broken a branch but ane,
Till by it came him true Tam-a-line,
Says, Ladye, lat alane. |
| 5 |
O why pou ye the rose, the rose?
Or why brake ye the tree?
Or why come ye to Charter woods,
Without leave askd of me? |
| 6 |
'I will pou the rose, the rose,
And I will brake the tree;
Charter woods are a' my ain,
I'll ask nae leave o thee.' |
| 7 |
He's taen her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
And laid her low on gude green wood,
At her he spierd nae leave. |
| 8 |
When he had got his wills of her,
His wills as he had taen,
He's taen her by the middle sma,
Set her to feet again. |
| 9 |
She turnd her right and round about,
To spier her true-love's name,
But naething heard she, nor naething saw,
As a' the woods grew dim. |
| 10 |
Seven days she tarried there,
Saw neither sun nor meen;
At length, by a sma glimmering light,
Came thro the wood her lane. |
| 11 |
When she came to her father's court,
As fine as ony queen;
But when eight months were past and gane,
Got on the gown o' green. |
| 12 |
Then out it speaks an eldren knight,
As he stood at the yett:
'Our king's daughter, she gaes wi bairn,
And we'll get a' the wyte.' |
| 13 |
'O had your tongue, ye eldren man,
And bring me not to shame;
Although that I do gang wi bairn,
Yese naeways get the blame. |
| 14 |
'Were my love but an earthly man,
As he's an elfin knight,
I woudna gie my ain true love
For a' that's in my sight.' |
| 15 |
Then out it speaks her brither dear,
He meant to do her harm:
'There is an herb in Charter wood
Will twine you an the bairn.' |
| 16 |
She's taen her mantle her about,
Her coffer by the band,
And she is on to Charter wood,
As fast as she coud gang. |
| 17 |
She hadna poud a rose, a rose,
Nor braken a branch but ane,
Till by it came him Tam-a-Line,
Says, Ladye, lat alane. |
| 18 |
O why pou ye the pile, Margaret,
The pile o the gravil green,
For to destroy the bonny bairn
That we got us between? |
| 19 |
O why pou ye the pile, Margaret,
The pile o the gravil gray,
For to destroy the bonny bairn
That we got in our play? |
| 20 |
For if it be a knave-bairn,
He's heir o a' my land;
But if it be a lass-bairn,
In red gowd she shall gang. |
| 21 |
'If my luve were an earthly man,
As he's an elfin rae,
I coud gang bound, love, for your sake,
A twalmonth and a day.' |
| 22 |
'Indeed your love's an earthly man,
The same as well as thee,
And lang I've haunted Charter woods,
A' for your fair bodie.' |
| 23 |
'O tell me, tell me, Tam-a-Line,
O tell, an tell me true,
Tell me this night, an mak nae lie,
What pedigree are you?' |
| 24 |
'O I hae been at gude church-door,
An I've got christendom;
I'm the Earl o' Forbes' eldest son,
An heir ower a' his land. |
| 25 |
'When I was young, o three years old,
Muckle was made o me;
My step-mother put on my claithes,
An ill, ill sained she me. |
| 26 |
'Ae fatal morning I went out,
Dreading nae injury,
And thinking lang, fell soun asleep,
Beneath an apple tree. |
| 27 |
'Then by it came the Elfin Queen,
And laid her hand on me;
And from that time since ever I mind,
I've been in her companie. |
| 28 |
'O Elfin it's a bonny place,
In it fain woud I dwell;
But ay at ilka seven years' end
They pay a tiend to hell,
And I'm sae fou o flesh an blude,
I'm sair feard for mysell.' |
| 29 |
'O tell me, tell me, Tam-a-Line,
O tell, an tell me true;
Tell me this night, an mak nae lie,
What way I'll borrow you?' |
| 30 |
'The morn is Halloweven night,
The elfin court will ride,
Through England, and thro a' Scotland,
And through the world wide. |
| 31 |
'O they begin at sky setting,
Rides a' the evening tide;
And she that will her true-love borrow,
[At] Miles-corse will him bide. |
| 32 |
'Ye'll do you down to Miles-corse,
Between twall hours and ane,
And full your hands o holy water,
And cast your compass roun. |
| 33 |
'Then the first an court that comes you till
Is published king and queen;
The next an court that comes you till,
It is maidens mony ane. |
| 34 |
'The next an court that comes you till
Is footmen, grooms and squires;
The next an court that comes you till
Is knights, and I'll be there. |
| 35 |
'I Tam-a-Line, on milk-white steed,
A goud star on my crown;
Because I was an earthly knight,
Got that for a renown. |
| 36 |
'And out at my steed's right nostril,
He'll breathe a fiery flame;
Ye'll loot you low, and sain yoursel,
And ye'll be busy then. |
| 37 |
'Ye'll take my horse then by the head,
And lat the bridal fa;
The Queen o' Elfin she'll cry out,
True Tam-a-Line's awa. |
| 38 |
'Then I'll appear in your arms
Like the wolf that neer woud tame;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
Case we neer meet again. |
| 39 |
'Then I'll appear in your arms
Like the fire that burns sae bauld;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
I'll be as iron cauld. |
| 40 |
'Then I'll appear in your arms
Like the adder an the snake;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
I am your warld's make. |
| 41 |
'Then I'll appear in your arms
Like to the deer sae wild;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
And I'll father your child. |
| 42 |
'And I'll appear in your arms
Like to a silken string;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
Till ye see the fair morning. |
| 43 |
'And I'll appear in your arms
Like to a naked man;
Ye'll had me fast, lat me not go,
And wi you I'll gae hame.' |
| 44 |
Then she has done her to Miles-corse,
Between twall hours an ane,
And filled her hands o holy water,
And kiest her compass roun. |
| 45 |
The first an court that came her till
Was published king and queen;
The niest an court that came her till
Was maidens mony ane. |
| 46 |
The niest an court that came her till
Was footmen, grooms and squires;
The niest an court that came her till
Was knights, and he was there. |
| 47 |
True Tam-a-Line, on milk-white steed,
A gowd star on his crown;
Because he was an earthly man,
Got that for a renown. |
| 48 |
And out at the steed's right nostril,
He breathd a fiery flame;
She loots her low, an sains hersell,
And she was busy then. |
| 49 |
She's taen the horse then by the head,
And loot the bridle fa;
The Queen o Elfin she cried out,
'True Tam-a-Line's awa.' |
| 50 |
'Stay still, true Tam-a-Line,' she says,
'Till I pay you your fee:'
'His father wants not lands nor rents,
He'll ask nae fee frae thee.' |
| 51 |
'Gin I had kent yestreen, yestreen,
What I ken weel the day,
I shoud taen your fu fause heart,
Gien you a heart o clay.' |
| 52 |
Then he appeared in her arms
Like the wolf that neer woud tame;
She held him fast, let him not go,
Case they neer meet again. |
| 53 |
Then he appeared in her arms
Like the fire burning bauld;
She held him fast, let him not go,
He was as iron cauld. |
| 54 |
And he appeared in her arms
Like the adder an the snake;
She held him fast, let him not go,
He was her warld's make. |
| 55 |
And he appeared in her arms
Like to the deer sae wild;
She held him fast, let him not go,
He's father o her child. |
| 56 |
And he appeared in her arms
Like to a silken string;
She held him fast, let him not go,
Till she saw fair morning. |
| 57 |
And he appeared in her arms
Like to a naked man;
She held him fast, let him not go,
And wi her he's gane hame. |
| 58 |
These news hae reachd thro a' Scotland,
And far ayont the Tay,
That Lady Margaret, our king's daughter,
That night had gaind her prey. |
| 59 |
She borrowed her love at mirk midnight,
Bare her young son ere day,
And though ye'd search the warld wide,
Ye'll nae find sic a may. |
