Kinloch Manuscripts, I, 155, May, 1827.
"Composed of three recited versions obtained in the west of Scotland."
| 1 |
'Learn to mak your bed, Annie,
And learn to lie your lane;
For I am gaing oure the saut seas,
A brisk bride to bring hame. |
| 2 |
'Wi her I will get gowd and gear;
Wi thee I neer gat nane;
I got thee as a waif woman,
I'll leave thee as the same. |
| 3 |
'O wha will bake my bridal bread,
Or brew my bridal ale?
Or wha welcome my brisk bride,
That I'll bring oure the dale?' |
| 4 |
'O I will bake your bridal bread,
And brew your bridal ale;
But I downa welcam your brisk bride
That ye'll bring frae the dale.' |
| 5 |
'She that welcomes my brisk bride,
She maun took maiden-like;
She maun kaim doun her yellow locks,
And lay them in her neck.' |
| 6 |
'O how can I look maiden-like,
When maiden I am nane?
For seven sons I hae born to thee,
And the eighth lies in my wame. |
| 7 |
'But what aileth thee at me, my lord,
What aileth thee at me,
Whan seven braw sons I've born to thee,
Out of my fair bodie? |
| 8 |
'The first ane of your sons, my lord,
Can baith read and write;
And the second of your sons, my lord,
Can do it maist perfyte. |
| 9 |
'The third ane o your sons, my lord,
Can water your grey steed;
And the fourth ane o your sons, my lord,
Can bake your bridal bread. |
| 10 |
'The fifth ane o your sons, my lord,
Can serve ye whan ye dine;
And the sixth ane o your sons, my lord,
Can brew your bridal wine. |
| 11 |
'The seventh ane o your sons, my lord,
Lies close at my breist-bane;
Whan a' the lave are fast asleep,
It's rest I can get nane.' |
| 12 |
He set his foot into the stirrup,
His hand upon the mane;
Says, It will be year and day, ladie,
Ere ye see me again. |
| 13 |
Whan he had ae foot on the sea,
The ither on dry lan,
'It will be year and day, ladie,
Till I come back again.' |
| 14 |
Whan year and day war past and gane,
Fair Annie she thought lang;
And she went up to her hie tower,
Wi a silk seam in her hand. |
| 15 |
She lookit east, she lookit west,
And south, below the sun,
And there she spied her ain gude lord,
Coming sailing to the lan. |
| 16 |
She called up her seven braw sons,
By ane, twa, and by three:
'See, yonder comes your father,
And your mother-for-to-be.' |
| 17 |
And she called up her servants a':
'O come, behold and see!
O yonder comes your master dear,
And a new mistress brings he. |
| 18 |
'Gae doun, gae doun, my eldest son,
Into the outmost ha,
And if ye welcome ane o them,
Be sure to welcome a'.' |
| 19 |
Some ran east, and some ran west,
And some ran to the sea;
There was na ane in a' his house
To welcome his new ladie. |
| 20 |
But Annie's to her coffer gane,
Tane out a silver kaim,
And she's kaimd doun her yellow hair,
As she a maid had been. |
| 21 |
And Annie has kaimd her lang yellow locks,
And laid them in her neck;
And she's awa to the saut, saut sea,
To welcome his lady aff deck. |
| 22 |
She durst na ca him her ain gude lord,
For angering o the bride;
But she did ca him master dear,
And I wat he was richt glad. |
| 23 |
'You're welcome, you're welcome, master,' she said,
'To your halls bot an your bouers;
And sae are a' thir merry young men
That come alang with you. |
| 24 |
'You're welcome, you're welcome, fair ladie,
To your halls but an your bouers;
And sae are a' thir gay ladies;
For a' that's here is yours.' |
| 25 |
'I thank ye, I thank ye, fair maiden,
I thank ye kindlie;
If I be lang about this house,
Rewarded ye sall be. |
| 26 |
'I have a brither o mine ain;
He's newly come from sea;
I think it wad be a richt gude match
To marry him and thee.' |
| 27 |
'I thank ye, I thank ye, fair ladie;
Gie your brither to whom like ye;
But there's never ane in this warld
My wedding day sall see:
But one word o my master dear
In private wad I be.'
'' '' '' '' '' |
| 28 |
The first dish that fair Annie set doun,
She lookit baith pale and wan;
The neist dish that fair Annie set doun,
She was scarce able to stan. |
| 29 |
'O is this your mistress, good lord,' she says,
'Although she looks modest and mild?
Then we will hunt her frae our house
Wi dogs and hawks sae wild.' |
| 30 |
'She's na my mistress, dear lady,' he says,
'Altho she looks modest and mild;
Nor will we hunt her frae our house
Wi dogs and hawks sae wild.' |
| 31 |
Whan bells war rung, and mass was sung,
And a' men boun for bed,
The bonnie bride and the bridegroom
In bride's bed they were laid. |
| 32 |
Whan dinner was past, and supper was by,
And a' were boun for bed,
Fair Annie and her seven sons
In a puir bye-chamber war laid. |
| 33 |
Fair Annie took out her virginals,
And sadly did she play;
. . . . .
. . . . . |
| 34 |
'O gin my sons were yon grey rats,
That climb the castle-wa,
And I mysel a bloody grey cat,
I'd rise and worry them a'.' |
| 35 |
Then out and spak the bonny bride,
In bride's bed whare she lay:
'I think this is like my sister Anne,
That doth sae sadly play.' |
| 36 |
'Lie still, lie still, my gay ladie,
Lie still and sleep a wee;
It's nathing but an auld servant,
That waileth sae for me.' |
| 37 |
'O gin my seven sons were seven young hares,
That rin round the castle wa,
And I mysel a bluidy grewhund,
I wad rise and worry them a'.' |
| 38 |
The new bride waukenit in the nicht,
And blew upon her horn:
'I think I hear my sister's voice,
That was stown frae us a bairn.' |
| 39 |
'Sleep on, sleep on, dear lady,' he says,
'It's yon maiden in her dream,
. . . . . .
. . . . . . |
| 40 |
'O wha was eer thy father, fair maid,
Or wha was eer thy mither?
Or wha was eer thy ae sister,
Or wha was eer thy brither?' |
| 41 |
'King Henry was my father,' she said,
'Queen Elinore was my mither;
Fair Marion was my ae sister,
Earl Robert was my brither.' |
| 42 |
'Sin King Henry was your father, fair maid,
And Queen Elinore your mither,
O I am een your ae sister,
And ye are just the ither. |
| 43 |
'Come to your bed, fair Annie,' she said,
'Come to your bed full sune;
I may weel say, I daur weel say,
There is na evil dune. |
| 44 |
'Seven ships of gold did bring me here,
But ane shall tak me hame;
Six I will leave to my sister Anne,
To bring up her children young. |
| 45 |
'But whan I gang to my father's ha,
And tirl on the pin,
The meanest in a' my father's house
Will ca me a forsaken ane.' |
