Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland, I, 1;
Motherwell's Manuscript, p. 550.
| 1 |
The king sits in Dumfermline town,
A-drinking at the wine;
Says, Where will I get a good skipper,
Will sail the saut seas fine? |
| 2 |
Out it speaks an eldren knight
Amang the companie:
'Young Patrick Spens is the best skipper
That ever saild the sea.' |
| 3 |
The king he wrote a braid letter,
And seald it wi his ring;
Says, Ye'll gie that to Patrick Spens,
See if ye can him find. |
| 4 |
He sent this not wi an auld man,
Nor yet a simple boy,
But the best o nobles in his train
This letter did convoy. |
| 5 |
When Patrick lookd the letter upon
A light laugh then gae he;
But ere he read it till an end,
The tear blinded his ee. |
| 6 |
Ye'll eat and drink, my merry men a',
An see ye be weell thorn;
For blaw it weet, or blaw it wind,
My guid ship sails the morn.' |
| 7 |
Then out it speaks a guid auld man,
A guid death mat he dee!
'Whatever ye do, my guid master,
Tak God your guide to bee. |
| 8 |
'For late yestreen I saw the new moon,
The auld moon in her arm:'
'Ohon, alas!' says Patrick Spens,
'That bodes a deadly storm. |
| 9 |
'But I maun sail the seas the morn,
And likewise sae maun you;
To Noroway, wi our king's daughter,
A chosen queen she's now. |
| 10 |
'But I wonder who has been sae base
As tauld the king o mee;
Even tho he ware my ae brither,
An ill death mat he dee!' |
| 11 |
Now Patrick he riggd out his ship,
And sailed ower the faem,
But mony a dreary thought had hee,
While hee was on the main. |
| 12 |
They hadna saild upon the sea
A day but barely three,
Till they came in sight o Noroway,
It's there where they must bee. |
| 13 |
They hadna stayed into that place
A month but and a day,
Till he causd the flip in mugs gae roun,
And wine in cans sae gay. |
| 14 |
The pipe and harp sae sweetly playd,
The trumpets loudly soun;
In every hall where in they stayd,
Wi their mirth did reboun. |
| 15 |
Then out it speaks an auld skipper,
An inbearing dog was hee:
'Ye've stayd ower lang in Noroway,
Spending your king's monie.' |
| 16 |
Then out it speaks Sir Patrick Spens: 'O how can a' this bee?
I hae a bow o guid red gowd
Into my ship wi mee. |
| 17 |
'But betide me well, betide me wae, This day I'se leave the shore,
And never spend my king's monie
Mong Noroway dogs no more.' |
| 18 |
Young Patrick hee is on the sea,
And even on the faem,
Wi five-an-fifty Scots lords' sons,
That langd to bee at hame. |
| 19 |
They hadna saild upon the sea
A day but barely three,
Till loud and boistrous grew the wind,
And stormy grew the sea. |
| 20 |
'O where will I get a little wee boy
Will tak my helm in hand,
Till I gae up to my tapmast,
And see for some dry land?' |
| 21 |
He hadna gane to his tapmast
A step but barely three,
Ere thro and thro the bonny ship's side
He saw the green haw sea. |
| 22 |
'There are five-an-fifty feather beds
Well packed in ae room;
And ye'll get as muckle guid canvas
As wrap the ship a' roun. |
| 23 |
'Ye'll pict her well, and spare her not,
And mak her hale and soun:'
But ere he had the word well spoke
The bonny ship was down. |
| 24 |
O laith, laith were our guid lords' sons
To weet their milk-white hands;
But lang ere a' the play was ower,
They wat their gowden bands. |
| 25 |
O laith, laith were our Scots lords' sons
To weet their coal-black shoon;
But lang ere a' the play was ower,
They wat their hats aboon. |
| 26 |
It's even ower by Aberdour
It's fifty fathoms deep,
And yonder lies Sir Patrick Spens,
And a's men at his feet. |
| 27 |
It's even ower by Aberdour,
There's mony a craig and fin,
And yonder lies Sir Patrick Spens,
Wi mony a guid lord's son. |
| 28 |
Lang, lang will the ladyes look,
Into their morning weed,
Before they see young Patrick Spens
Come sailing ower the fleed. |
| 29 |
Lang, lang will the ladyes look,
Wi their fans in their hand,
Before they see him Patrick Spens
Come sailing to dry land. |
