Motherwell's manuscript, p. 351, from the recitation of Janet Holmes,
an old woman in Kilbarchan, who derived the ballad from her mother; July 18, 1825.
| 1 |
Learn to mak you bed, honey,
And learn to lye your lane,
For I'm gaun owre the salt seas,
A fair lady to bring hame. |
| 2 |
'And with her I'll get gold and gear,
With thee I neer got nane;
I took you as a waaf woman,
I leave you as the same.' |
| 3 |
'What aileth thee at me, my lord,
What aileth thee at me,
When seven bonnie sons I have born,
All of your fair bodie? |
| 4 |
'The eldest of your seven sons,
He can both read and write;
The second of your sons, my lord,
Can do it more perfyte. |
| 5 |
'The third one of your sons, my lord,
He waters your milk-white steed;
The fourth one of your sons, my lord,
With red gold shines his weed. |
| 6 |
'The fifth one of your sons, my lord,
He serves you when you dine;
The sixth one now you do behold,
How he walks out and in. |
| 7 |
'The seventh one of your sons, my lord,
Sucks hard at my breast-bane;
When a' the house they are at rest,
For him I can get nane. |
| 8 |
'And if you leave me thus forlorn,
A wainless wife I'll be,
For anybody's gold or gear
That is beyond the sea.' |
| 9 |
'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
Or wha will brew my ale?
Or wha will cook my kitchen neat,
Or give my men their meal?' |
| 10 |
'For love I'll bake your bridal bread,
To brew your ale I'm fain,
To cook your kitchen, as I have done,
Till you return again.' |
| 11 |
'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
Or wha will brew my ale?
Or wha will welcome my braw bride,
That I bring owre the dale?' |
| 12 |
'For love I'll bake your bridal bread,
For love I'll brew your ale,
And I will welcome your braw bride
That you bring owre the dale.' |
| 13 |
Her mind she keeped, but sair she weepd
The time that he was gane
. . . . . .
. . . . . . |
| 14 |
'Go up, go up, my eldest son,
Go to the upmost ha,
And see if you see your father coming,
With your mother-to-be-in-law.' |
| 15 |
'Put on, put on, O mother dear,
Put on your gouns so braw,
For yonder is my father coming,
With my mother-to-be-in-law.' |
| 16 |
She's taen the wheat-bread in one hand,
The red wines, which plenty were,
And she's gane to the outmost gate,
And bid them welcome there. |
| 17 |
'You're welcome here, my brother dear,
Ye're welcome, brother John;
Ye're welcome a' my brethern dear,
That has this journey gone.' |
| 18 |
'I thank you, sister Annie,' he says,
'And I thank you heartilie,
And as you've welcomed home myself,
You'll welcome my fair ladye.' |
| 19 |
'If I had roses to my feet,
And ribbons to my gown,
And as leal a maid as your braw bride,
I would speak without a frown.' |
| 20 |
He's given her roses to her feet,
And ribbons to her gown,
And she has welcomed his braw bride,
But weel that was her own! |
| 21 |
'I thank you, sister Annie,' she says,
'I thank you heartilie,
And if I be seven years about this place,
Rewarded you shall be.' |
| 22 |
She served them up, she served them down,
And she served all their cries,
And aye as she came down the stair
The tears fell from her eyes. |
| 23 |
When mass was sung, and all bells rung,
And all men boune for bed,
The good lord and his fair lady
Were in their chamber laid. |
| 24 |
But poor Annie and her seven sons
Was in a room hard by,
And as she lay she sighed and wept,
And thus began to cry: |
| 25 |
'O were my sons transformed to cats,
To speel this castle wa,
And I mysell a red blood-hound
That I might worry them a'!' |
| 26 |
The bride she overhearing all,
And sair she rued her fate:
'Awauk, awauk, my lord,' she said,
'Awauk, for well you may;
For There's a woman in this gate
That will go mad ere day. |
| 27 |
'I fear she is a leman of thine,
And a leman meek and mild;
Get up and pack her down the stairs,
Tho the woods were neer sae wild.' |
| 28 |
'O yes, she is a leman of mine,
And a leman meek and kind,
And I will not pack her down the stairs,
For a' the gear that's thine.' |
| 29 |
'O wha's your father, Ann?' she says,
'Or wha's your mother dear?
Or wha's your sister, Ann?' she says,
'Or brother? let me hear.' |
| 30 |
'King Easter he's my father dear,
The Queen my mother was;
John Armstrang, in the west-airt lands,
My eldest brother is.' |
| 31 |
'Then I'm your sister, Ann,' she says,
'And I'm a full sister to thee;
You were stolen awa when very young,
By the same lord's treacherie. |
| 32 |
'I've seven ships upon the sea,
All loaded to the brim,
And five of them I'll give to thee,
And twa shall carry me hame. |
| 33 |
'My mother shall mak my tocher up,
When I tell her how you thrive;
For we never knew where you was gone,
Or if you was alive.' |
