Kinloch's Ancient Scottish Ballads, p. 260.
| 1 |
Young Beichan was in London born,
He was a man of hie degree;
He past thro monie kingdoms great,
Until he cam unto Grand Turkie. |
| 2 |
He viewd the fashions of that land,
Their way of worship viewed he,
But unto onie of their stocks
He wadna sae much as bow a knee: |
| 3 |
Which made him to be taken straight,
And brought afore their hie jurie;
The savage Moor did speak upricht,
And made him meikle ill to dree. |
| 4 |
In ilka shoulder they've bord a hole,
And in ilka hole they've put a tree;
They've made him to draw carts and wains,
Till he was sick and like to dee. |
| 5 |
But Young Beichan was a Christian born,
And still a Christian was he;
Which made them put him in prison strang,
And cauld and hunger sair to dree,
And fed on nocht but bread and water,
Until the day that he mot dee. |
| 6 |
In this prison there grew a tree,
And it was unco stout and strang,
Where he was chained by the middle,
Until his life was almaist gane. |
| 7 |
The savage Moor had but ae dochter,
And her name it was Susie Pye,
And ilka day as she took the air,
The prison door she passed bye. |
| 8 |
But it fell ance upon a day,
As she was walking, she heard him sing;
She listend to his tale of woe,
A happy day for Young Beichan! |
| 9 |
'My hounds they all go masterless,
My hawks they flee frae tree to tree,
My youngest brother will heir my lands,
My native land I'll never see.' |
| 10 |
'O were I but the prison-keeper,
As I'm a ladie o hie degree,
I soon wad set this youth at large,
And send him to his ain countrie.' |
| 11 |
She went away into her chamber,
All nicht she never closd her ee;
And when the morning begoud to dawn,
At the prison door alane was she. |
| 12 |
She gied the keeper a piece of gowd,
And monie pieces o white monie,
To tak her thro the bolts and bars,
The lord frae Scotland she langd to see;
She saw young Beichan at the stake,
Which made her weep maist bitterlie. |
| 13 |
'O hae ye got onie lands,' she says,
'Or castles in your ain countrie?
It's what wad ye gie to the ladie fair
Wha out o prison wad set you free?' |
| 14 |
'It's I hae houses, and I hae lands,
Wi monie castles fair to see,
And I wad gie a' to that ladie gay,
Wha out o prison wad set me free.' |
| 15 |
The keeper syne brak aff his chains,
And set Lord Beichan at libertie;
She filld his pockets baith wi gowd,
To tak him till his ain countrie. |
| 16 |
She took him frae her father's prison,
And gied to him the best o wine,
And a brave health she drank to him:
'I wish, Lord Beichan, ye were mine! |
| 17 |
'It's seven lang years I'll mak a vow,
And seven lang years I'll keep it true;
If ye'll wed wi na ither woman,
It's I will wed na man but you.' |
| 18 |
She's tane him to her father's port,
And gien to him a ship o fame:
'Farewell, farewell, my Scottish lord,
I fear I'll neer see you again.' |
| 19 |
Lord Beichan turnd him round about,
And lowly, lowly loutit he:
'Ere seven lang years come to an end,
I'll tak you to mine ain countrie.'
* * * * * |
| 20 |
Then whan he cam to Glosgow town,
A happy, happy man was he;
The ladies a' around him thrangd,
To see him come frae slaverie. |
| 21 |
His mother she had died o sorrow,
And a' his brothers were dead but he;
His lands they a' were lying waste,
In ruins were his castles free. |
| 22 |
Na porter there stood at his yett,
Na human creature he could see,
Except the screeching owls and bats,
Had he to bear him companie. |
| 23 |
But gowd will gar the castles grow,
And he had gowd and jewels free,
And soon the pages around him thrangd,
To serve him on their bended knee. |
| 24 |
His hall was hung wi silk and satin,
His table rung wi mirth and glee,
He soon forgot the lady fair
That lowsd him out o slaverie. |
| 25 |
Lord Beichan courted a lady gay,
To heir wi him his lands sae free,
Neer thinking that a lady fair
Was on her way frae Grand Turkie. |
| 26 |
For Susie Pye could get na rest,
Nor day nor nicht could happy be,
Still thinking on the Scottish lord,
Till she was sick and like to dee. |
| 27 |
But she has builded a bonnie ship,
Weel mannd wi seamen o hie degree,
And secretly she stept on board,
And bid adieu to her ain countrie. |
| 28 |
But whan she cam to the Scottish shore,
The bells were ringing sae merrilie;
It was Lord Beichan's wedding day,
Wi a lady fair o hie degree. |
| 29 |
But sic a vessel was never seen;
The very masts were tappd wi gold,
Her sails were made o the satin fine,
Maist beautiful for to behold. |
| 30 |
But whan the lady cam on shore,
Attended wi her pages three,
Her shoon were of the beaten gowd,
And she a lady of great beautie. |
| 31 |
Then to the skipper she did say,
'Can ye this answer gie to me?
Where are Lord Beichan's lands sae braid?
He surely lives in this countrie.' |
| 32 |
Then up bespak the skipper bold,
For he could speak the Turkish tongue:
'Lord Beichan lives not far away;
This is the day of his wedding.' |
| 33 |
'If ye will guide me to Beichan's yetts,
I will ye well reward,' said she;
Then she and all her pages went,
A very gallant companie. |
| 34 |
When she cam to Lord Beichan's yetts,
She tirld gently at the pin;
Sae ready was the proud porter
To let the wedding guests come in. |
| 35 |
'Is this Lord Beichan's house,' she says,
'Or is that noble lord within?'
'Yes, he is gane into the hall,
With his brave bride and monie ane.' |
| 36 |
'Ye'll bid him send me a piece of bread,
Bot and a cup of his best wine;
And bid him mind the lady's love
That ance did lowse him out o pyne.' |
| 37 |
Then in and cam the porter bold,
I wat he gae three shouts and three:
'The fairest lady stands at your yetts
That ever my twa een did see.' |
| 38 |
Then up bespak the bride's mither,
I wat an angry woman was she:
'You micht hae excepted our bonnie bride,
Tho she'd been three times as fair as she.' |
| 39 |
'My dame, your daughter's fair enough,
And aye the fairer mot she be!
But the fairest time that eer she was,
She'll na compare wi this ladie. |
| 40 |
'She has a gowd ring on ilka finger,
And on her mid-finger she has three;
She has as meikle gowd upon her head
As wad buy an earldom o land to thee. |
| 41 |
'My lord, she begs some o your bread,
Bot and a cup o your best wine,
And bids you mind the lady's love
That ance did lowse ye out o pyne.' |
| 42 |
Then up and started Lord Beichan,
I wat he made the table flee:
'I wad gie a' my yearlie rent
'Twere Susie Pye come owre the sea.' |
| 43 |
Syne up bespak the bride's mother,
She was never heard to speak sae free:
'Ye'll no forsake my ae dochter,
Tho Susie Pye has crossd the sea?' |
| 44 |
'Tak hame, tak hame, your dochter, madam,
For she is neer the waur o me;
She cam to me on horseback riding,
And she sall gang hame in chariot free.' |
| 45 |
He's tane Susie Pye by the milk-white hand,
And led her thro his halls sae hie:
'Ye're now Lord Beichan's lawful wife,
And thrice ye're welcome unto me.' |
| 46 |
Lord Beichan prepard for another wedding,
Wi baith their hearts sae fu o glee;
Says, 'I'll range na mair in foreign lands,
Sin Susie Pye has crossd the sea. |
| 47 |
'Fy! gar a' our cooks mak ready,
And fy! gar a' our pipers play,
And fy! gar trumpets gae thro the toun,
That Lord Beichan's wedded twice in a day!' |
