Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 6;
Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 554.
| 1 |
Lady Margaret sits in her bower door,
Sewing at her silken seam;
She heard a note in Elmond's wood,
And wishd she there had been. |
| 2 |
She loot the seam fa frae her side,
And the needle to her tae,
And she is on to Elmond's wood
As fast as she coud gae. |
| 3 |
She hadna pu'd a nut, a nut,
Nor broken a branch but ane,
Till by it came a young hind chiel,
Says, Lady, lat alane. |
| 4 |
O why pu ye the nut, the nut,
Or why brake ye the tree?
For I am forester o this wood:
Ye shoud spier leave at me. |
| 5 |
'I'll ask leave at no living man,
Nor yet will I at thee;
My father is king oer a' this realm,
This wood belongs to me.' |
| 6 |
She hadna pu'd a nut, a nut,
Nor broken a branch but three,
Till by it came him Young Akin,
And gard her lat them be. |
| 7 |
The highest tree in Elmond's wood,
He's pu'd it by the reet,
And he has built for her a bower,
Near by a hallow seat. |
| 8 |
He's built a bower, made it secure
We carbuncle and stane;
Tho travellers were never sae nigh,
Appearance it had nane. |
| 9 |
He's kept her there in Elmond's wood,
For six lang years and one,
Till six pretty sons to him she bear,
And the seventh she's brought home. |
| 10 |
It fell ance upon a day,
This guid lord went from home,
And he is to the hunting gane,
Took wi him his eldest son. |
| 11 |
And when they were on a guid way,
Wi slowly pace did walk,
The boy's heart being something wae,
He thus began to talk: |
| 12 |
'A question I woud ask, father,
Gin ye woudna angry be:'
'Say on, say on, my bonny boy,
Ye'se nae be quarrelld by me.' |
| 13 |
'I see my mither's cheeks aye weet,
I never can see them dry;
And I wonder what aileth my mither,
To mourn continually.' |
| 14 |
'Your mither was a king's daughter,
Sprung frae a high degree,
And she might hae wed some worthy prince,
Had she nae been stown by me. |
| 15 |
'I was her father's cup-bearer,
Just at that fatal time;
I catchd her on a misty night,
Whan summer was in prime. |
| 16 |
'My luve to her was most sincere,
Her luve was great for me,
But when she hardships doth endure,
Her folly she does see.' |
| 17 |
'I'll shoot the buntin o the bush,
The linnet o the tree,
And bring them to my dear mither,
See if she'll merrier be.' |
| 18 |
It fell upo another day,
This guid lord he thought lang,
And he is to the hunting gane,
Took wi him his dog and gun. |
| 19 |
Wi bow and arrow by his side,
He's aff, single, alane,
And left his seven children to stay
Wi their mither at hame. |
| 20 |
'O I will tell to you, mither,
Gin ye wadna angry be:'
'Speak on, speak on, my little wee boy,
Ye'se nae be quarrelld by me.' |
| 21 |
'As we came frae the hynd-hunting,
We heard fine music ring:'
'My blessings on you, my bonny boy,
I wish I'd been there my lane.' |
| 22 |
He's taen his mither by the hand,
His six brithers also,
And they are on thro Elmond's wood,
As fast as they coud go. |
| 23 |
They wistna weel where they were gaen,
Wi the stratlins o their feet;
They wistna weel where they were gaen,
Till at her father's yate. |
| 24 |
'I hae nae money in my pocket,
But royal rings hae three;
I'll gie them you, my little young son,
And ye'll walk there for me. |
| 25 |
'Ye'll gie the first to the proud porter,
And he will lat you in;
Ye'll gie the next to the butler-boy,
And he will show you ben; |
| 26 |
'Ye'll gie the third to the minstrel
That plays before the king;
He'll play success to the bonny boy
Came thro the wood him lane.' |
| 27 |
He gae the first to the proud porter,
And he opend an let him in;
He gae the next to the butler-boy,
And he has shown him ben; |
| 28 |
He gae the third to the minstrel
That playd before the king;
And he playd success to the bonny boy
Came thro the wood him lane. |
| 29 |
Now when he came before the king,
Fell low down on his knee;
The king he turned round about,
And the saut tear blinded his ee. |
| 30 |
'Win up, win up, my bonny boy,
Gang frae my companie;
Ye look sae like my dear daughter,
My heart will birst in three.' |
| 31 |
'If I look like your dear daughter,
A wonder it is none;
If I look like your dear daughter,
I am her eldest son.' |
| 32 |
'Will ye tell me, ye little wee boy,
Where may my Margaret be?'
'She's just now standing at your yates,
And my six brithers her wi.' |
| 33 |
'O where are all my porter-boys
That I pay meat and fee,
To open my yates baith wide and braid?
Let her come in to me.' |
| 34 |
When she came in before the king,
Fell low down on her knee;
'Win up, win up, my daughter dear,
This day ye'll dine wi me.' |
| 35 |
'Ae bit I canno eat, father,
Nor ae drop can I drink,
Till I see my mither and sister dear,
For lang for them I think.' |
| 36 |
When she came before the queen,
Fell low down on her knee;
'Win up, win up, my daughter dear
This day ye'se dine wi me.' |
| 37 |
'Ae bit I canno eat, mither,
Nor ae drop can I drink,
Until I see my dear sister,
For lang for her I think.' |
| 38 |
When that these two sisters met,
She haild her courteouslie;
'Come ben, come ben, my sister dear,
This day ye'se dine wi me.' |
| 39 |
'Ae bit I canno eat, sister,
Nor ae drop can I drink,
Until I see my dear husband,
For lang for him I think.' |
| 40 |
'O where are all my rangers bold
That I pay meat and fee,
To search the forest far an wide,
And bring Akin to me?' |
| 41 |
Out it speaks the little wee boy:
Na, na, this maunna be;
Without ye grant a free pardon,
I hope ye'll nae him see. |
| 42 |
'O here I grant a free pardon,
Well seald by my own han;
Ye may make search for Young Akin,
As soon as ever you can.' |
| 43 |
They searchd the country wide and braid,
The forests far and near,
And found him into Elmond's wood,
Tearing his yellow hair. |
| 44 |
'Win up, win up now, Young Akin,
Win up, and boun wi me;
We're messengers come from the court,
The king wants you to see.' |
| 45 |
'O lat him take frae me my head,
Or hang me on a tree;
For since I've lost my dear lady,
Life's no pleasure to me.' |
| 46 |
'Your head will nae be touchd, Akin,
Nor hangd upon a tree;
Your lady's in her father's court,
And all he wants is thee.' |
| 47 |
When he came in before the king,
Fell low down on his knee;
'Win up, win up now, Young Akin,
This day ye'se dine wi me.' |
| 48 |
But as they were at dinner set,
The boy asked a boun:
'I wish we were in the good church,
For to get christendoun. |
| 49 |
'We hae lived in guid green wood
This seven years and ane;
But a' this time, since eer I mind,
Was never a church within.' |
| 50 |
'Your asking's nae sae great, my boy,
But granted it shall be;
This day to guid church ye shall gang,
And your mither shall gang you wi.' |
| 51 |
When unto the guid church she came,
She at the door did stan;
She was sae sair sunk down wi shame,
She coudna come farer ben. |
| 52 |
Then out it speaks the parish priest,
And a sweet smile gae he:
'Come ben, come ben, my lily flower,
Present your babes to me.' |
| 53 |
Charles, Vincent, Sam and Dick,
And likewise James and John;
They calld the eldest Young Akin,
Which was his father's name. |
| 54 |
Then they staid in the royal court,
And livd wi mirth and glee,
And when her father was deceasd,
Heir of the crown was she. |
