Buchan's Manuscripts, II, 129.
| 1 |
The knight he stands in stable-door,
Says he, I will go ride;
The lady's kilted her gay cloathing,
And ran low by his side. |
| 2 |
He has ridden, and she has run,
Till they came to yon water wan;
He has ridden, and she has run,
Like to his waiting man. |
| 3 |
He has ridden, and she has run,
Till they came on to Clyde;
The knight he rode on high horseback,
But the lady she bot wide. |
| 4 |
The first step that the lady stepped,
She stept into the knee;
The bairn that was between her sides
There he gied spartles three. |
| 5 |
'Lie still, lie still, my bonny boy,
Ye work your mother woe;
Your father rides on high horseback,
Cares little for us two.' |
| 6 |
The nextand step that lady stepped,
She stept into the pap;
The bairn that was between her sides
There spartled and he lap. |
| 7 |
'Ly still, ly still, my bonny boy,
You work your mother's woe;
Your father rides on high horseback,
Cares little for us two.' |
| 8 |
In the middle of that water
There stands a yird-fast stone;
He turnd his horse head back again,
Said, Lady, loup ye on. |
| 9 |
She hadna ridden a mile, a mile,
O never a mile but ane,
Till she grew sick, and so weary
She couldna ride nor gang. |
| 10 |
'Ride on, ride on, my gay lady,
You see not what I see;
For yonder is my father's castle,
A little beyond the lee,
And ye'll get ane of my father's men,
But, lady, neer lippen on me.' |
| 11 |
There were four and twenty bonny ladies
Led Willie frae bower to ha,
But the bonniest lady among them a'
Led his steed to the sta. |
| 12 |
When they were at the table set,
And sitting at their dine,
Out it spake his mother dear,
And she spake aye in time. |
| 13 |
'Sometimes your boy's red, Willie,
And other times he's wan;
He looks like a woman wi bairn,
But no ways like a man.' |
| 14 |
'Win up, win up, my bonny boy,
Go look your master's steed;
See that his meat be at his head,
And not among his feet.' |
| 15 |
O healy, healy raise she up,
And healy gaed she down,
And healy opend the stable-door,
And as healy gaed she in,
And even among that big horse feet
She bear her dear young son. |
| 16 |
As Willie's mother was walking alone,
Between the bower and ha,
She thought she heard a bairn's greet
And lady's moan in the sta. |
| 17 |
'Gude make ye safe, my ae son Willie,
Gude keep ye safe frae harm;
Ye might hae chosen a lighter foot-boy
Than a women in travilling.' |
| 18 |
He hit the table wi his foot,
He kept it wi his knee,
Till silver cups and silver spoons
Into the floor did flee. |
| 19 |
There was fifteen steps into that stair,
I wat he made them a' but three;
He's to the stable gane in haste,
And a' to see his gay lady. |
| 20 |
'I am not come o sic low kin,
Nor yet sic low degree,
That you needed to banish me frae your sight,
That ye left nae woman wi me.' |
| 21 |
'I wish I'd drunken the wan water
When I did drink the wine,
Or when I left my lady gay,
And her at sic a time. |
| 22 |
'But up ye'll take my dear young son,
And wash him wi the milk,
And up ye'll take my lady gay
And row her in the silk;
For her kirking and her fair wedding
Shall baith stand in ae day.' |
